Plane crash in Sandwich, IL 2 dead

http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/04/two-dead-in-plane-crash-near-sandwich.html

Looks like an Ercoupe. NC87384?

Aircraft Description

Serial Number 557 Type Registration Individual
Manufacturer Name ENGINEERING & RESEARCH Certificate Issue Date 06/02/2005
Model 415-C Status Valid
Type Aircraft Fixed Wing Single-Engine Type Engine Reciprocating
Pending Number Change None Dealer No
Date Change Authorized None Mode S Code 53002410
MFR Year 1946 Fractional Owner NO



Registered Owner

Name HOUGHAM RANDALL S
Street 2609 N 46TH RD
City SANDWICH State ILLINOIS Zip Code 60548-9316
County LA SALLE
Country UNITED STATES
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Ercoupes aren't faring well this year.
 
wabower said:
Ercoupes aren't faring well this year.
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Surprise surprise, they never were any good. I hated them from the first time I flew one. There's a reason this "revolutionary" design only has around 5000 copies across 30 years.
 
I was in the simulator this afternoon working on instrument currency when my phone rang. It was Leslie's dad, calling to make sure it wasn't us in the accident. Sad. :(
 
SIGH!

So much for good reporting
Hougham is the registered owner of the 6-ton plane, according the FAA Web site, which has a database of owners categorized by serial numbers that are on the wings of aircraft. The Ercoupe flies at a speed of about 90 mph and can accommodate two people, including the pilot, according to the Web site.
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Or maybe the reporter figured out why that plane could not stay in the air!

http://www.nwherald.com/articles/2009/04/12/r_1pixw2porzgeaglyzk2haw/index.xml
 
Henning said:
Surprise surprise, they never were any good. I hated them from the first time I flew one. There's a reason this "revolutionary" design only has around 5000 copies across 30 years.
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I couldn't disagree more. The Coupe is a sweet flying little plane, way ahead of its time. It's safe, inexpensive, and great fun to fly.

Flying an Ercoupe around with the top down on a hot summer day is hard to beat. Every bit as fun as a Cub, but far more civilized.
 
Jay Honeck said:
I couldn't disagree more. The Coupe is a sweet flying little plane, way ahead of its time. It's safe, inexpensive, and great fun to fly.

Flying an Ercoupe around with the top down on a hot summer day is hard to beat. Every bit as fun as a Cub, but far more civilized.
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Ditto, Jay.

Finding out about an airplane crashing and then commenting that the airplane is "no good" is kind of silly IMHO. By this logic I think every kind plane would be "no good." We don't even have the cause yet.

Sad to hear about this.
 
coupe is one of the few tricycle gear airplanes that still have that taildragger fun factor.
 
Jay Honeck said:
I couldn't disagree more. The Coupe is a sweet flying little plane, way ahead of its time. It's safe, inexpensive, and great fun to fly.

Jay, I seem to recall that Ercoupes had the fuel tank and fuel lines inside the cockpit, and had a propensity to burn when crashed (as compared to planes with fuel tanks and lines external to the cockpit).

This always made me a little nervous when flying acro in my Decathlon, with the header tank and lines inside the cockpit and just held on with a couple of brackets and straps. In a crash I could always see some of this breaking away to start a fire.

Still, a tragedy no matter the cause.
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AcroBoy said:
Jay Honeck said:
I couldn't disagree more. The Coupe is a sweet flying little plane, way ahead of its time. It's safe, inexpensive, and great fun to fly.

Jay, I seem to recall that Ercoupes had the fuel tank and fuel lines inside the cockpit, and had a propensity to burn when crashed (as compared to planes with fuel tanks and lines external to the cockpit).

This always made me a little nervous when flying acro in my Decathlon, with the header tank and lines inside the cockpit and just held on with a couple of brackets and straps. In a crash I could always see some of this breaking away to start a fire.

Still, a tragedy no matter the cause.
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Planes that have a non-remote fuel valve in the cockpit has fuel lines in the cockpit. My Cherokee has fuel lines right next to my legs. I am not sure what you point is?
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smigaldi said:
AcroBoy said:
Planes that have a non-remote fuel valve in the cockpit has fuel lines in the cockpit. My Cherokee has fuel lines right next to my legs. I am not sure what you point is?
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I think the point is a fuel tank in the cabin/cockpit is less desirable than a tank elsewhere. In the Citabria/Decathlon, the inverted fuel tank is tucked up under the panel...


Trapper John
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smigaldi said:
AcroBoy said:
Planes that have a non-remote fuel valve in the cockpit has fuel lines in the cockpit. My Cherokee has fuel lines right next to my legs. I am not sure what you point is?
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I would expect that there's a difference between a fuel line running through the cockpit and having a fuel tank in the cabin with you. Another factor would be whether or not the tank is protected by substantial structure (e.g. steel framework).
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gismo said:
I would expect that there's a difference between a fuel line running through the cockpit and having a fuel tank in the cabin with you. Another factor would be whether or not the tank is protected by substantial structure (e.g. steel framework).
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i would too which is why I did not mention anything about fuel tanks in the cockpit. But acroboy did call out fuel lines and I am simply pointing out that most if not all small GA airplanes do have fuel lines in the cockpit and it has not been an issue.
 
The point was and is that the fuel tank as stated is in the cockpit, and can break loose in a crash due to the g load, even if protected from direct impact. This is certainly the case in a Decathlon, and as I recall the Ercoupe.

I had an experience in the Decathlon where the fuel cap gasket started leaking in flight, and trailed gas down the back window into the cockpit. On another occasion I came to the hangar and found the entire cockpit carpeting and floor boards soaked with gas after a header tank fitting had cracked. Luckily this did not happen in flight. It had drained out over 30 gallons, since the header tank is fed by the wing tanks when upright.

The header tank itself is only held in by a few straps, and could easily break loose on a hard impact, potentially resulting in a post crash fire in the cockpit.

Again, the point is questioning the potential increased risk of having a fuel tank inside the cockpit, as stated.
 
smigaldi said:
i would too which is why I did not mention anything about fuel tanks in the cockpit. But acroboy did call out fuel lines and I am simply pointing out that most if not all small GA airplanes do have fuel lines in the cockpit and it has not been an issue.
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Yeah he did mention fuel lines along with tanks, and lines do pose some risk if there's no tank but the tanks increase the risk dramatically IMO and so I just kinda ignored the bit about lines. Virtually all airplanes have fuel lines running through the cabin somewhere because it's rather difficult to get fuel from the optimal tank locations to the optimal engine location(s) without passing through the cabin.
 
I think the Ercoupe suffers from a lack of "Macho" factor, in that any airplane that has a wheel at the nose and, God forbid, no rudder pedals, is some sort of sissy airplane.

I have several hours in an Ercoupe and agree with the posts above that it is a great little airplane. A true blast to fly with the windows down. I recall getting checked out and making my first landing. I had no idea I was on the ground until my checkout pilot told me to get the nosewheel on the ground! Sweet! The Ercoupe will make you look like you actually know what you are doing on landings!

The strangest thing to get over is how you land in a crab. I took an accomplished CFI up to check him out and caught him stomping on the floorboards applying those imaginary rudder pedals. I will admit that when I got done building my RV, it took me awhile to get accustomed to using rudder control again.

Prayers go out to the families of those that were lost in this accident. I hope the cause can be accurately determined.
 
BTW, there was a post-crash fire. In the photos I saw the actual crash looked pretty survivable except for the fire.

I like Ercoupes a lot, btw. :)
 
bullwinkle said:
BTW, there was a post-crash fire. In the photos I saw the actual crash looked pretty survivable except for the fire.

I like Ercoupes a lot, btw. :)
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I agree, header tanks are just not a great idea. A good friend of mine (actually, a partner with me on the 'Coupe) was badly burned last summer when the engine on his homebuilt crapped out, and the header tank burst on impact.

That said, many, many aircraft have them, and most pilots fly behind them without any trouble at all.

My Ercoupe is 61 years old, and is, by any measure, a plane that was WAY ahead of its time. Is it as "safe" as a composite Cirrus, built in the 21st century? Nope, probably not. But my grand total investment in the 'Coupe is less than the cost of the Cirrus' ballistic 'chute.

Pretty amazing, when you think about it.
 
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