Ercoupe 415-C accident near Mesquite, Nevada, April 14, 2013
On April 14, 2013 at about 5:20 pm local time, a 1946 Ercoupe 415-C, registered N87114, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Mesquite, Nevada (Mesquite airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Separation of the propeller from the engine during initial climb due to the incorrect torque applied to the propeller hub nut during maintenance.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 14, 2013 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- Mesquite, Nevada · Mesquite · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ercoupe 415-C, built 1946 · all 415-Cs on the register
- Registration
- N87114 · no longer on the register · serial 287
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The propeller departed the airplane during the initial climb following takeoff, and the pilot performed a forced landing into a rocky field. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and firewall during the accident sequence; the pilot was not injured. The propeller and its associated hub mounting hardware were not recovered. The threaded portion of the crankshaft had been flattened by the propeller's hub, indicating that the hub nut was in place but had backed off during the flight. The nut had backed off most likely because the incorrect torque had been applied during its reinstallation, about 40 flight hours before the accident flight.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Part(s) separation from AC during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft propeller/rotor › Propeller system › Propeller assembly › Incorrect service/maintenance
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Maintenance personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,674 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 1,589 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 27, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,800 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 6, 2012; 42.2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,260 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Motors C85 (piston); 1,700 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 67L Mesquite NV at 5:15 pm
- Destination: KELY Ely NV
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 01, 5,121 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.65 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from KLAS, 69 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR13LA191.