WARRENTON, VA, USA
N3200H
Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp.) 415-E
DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL, THE 1946 ERCOUPE WAS NOT ACCELERATING AS THE PILOT WAS ACCUSTOMED, AND HE ABORTED THE TAKEOFF. DURING THE ABORT, THE AIRPLANE VEERED OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY AND NOSED OVER. THE PILOT HAD A TOTAL OF 21 HOURS IN THE ERCOUPE, AND ALL PREVIOUS FLIGHTS WERE ON HARD SURFACE RUNWAYS. THIS WAS THE PILOT'S FIRST DEPARTURE FROM A GRASS STRIP IN THIS AIRPLANE.
On May 28, 1994, at 0850 eastern daylight time, an Ercoupe 415-E, N3200H, owned and piloted by Veerayuth Didyasarin, was substantially damaged during an aborted takeoff at the Flying Circus Airport, Warrenton, Virginia. The pilot and passenger received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a flight plan had not been filed for the flight operating under 14 CFR 91. In the NTSB Form 6120.1/2, the pilot stated that he held the brakes prior to takeoff and advanced the throttle to takeoff power. After brake release, when the airplane reached 40 to 45 knots, the pilot did not believe that the airplane was accelerating normally. He further stated: "...I made the decision to abort the takeoff by closing the throttle and applying both brake pedals equally. The aircraft veered to left side of runway in spite of right correction...The aircraft almost stopped when the nose wheel collapsed and the aircraft slowly and gently flipped over on its back..." According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Inspector's report: "The pilot had 21 hours total time in aircraft. Prior to this flight, the pilot had flown the aircraft from a hard surface runway at Manassas Airport where it was based. The acceleration on takeoff from Flying Circus Aerodrome, a grass field, was not as rapid as that at Manassas and since the aircraft was not accelerating as he was accustomed, he elected to abort the takeoff. When the aircraft drifted toward the left edge of the runway, he was unable to correct its movement with proper input to the controls." END OF REPORT
the pilot did not maintain directional control of the airplane during an aborted takeoff, which resulted in the airplane veering off the runway and nosing over. A factor in this accident was the pilot's lack of experience on grass strips in this make and model airplane.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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