LIZTON, IN, USA
N3871H
Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp.) 415-CD
THE PILOT STATED THAT DURING AN ATTEMPTED TAKEOFF HE 'APPLIED FULL POWER, AIRPLANE TRAVELLED ACROSS THREE AREAS OF SNOW....FAILED TO OBTAIN FLYING SPEED...CONTACTED FENCE AND DITCH.' THE RUNWAY IN USE WAS A 1,550 FOOT LONG, SNOW-COVERED GRASS STRIP; THE PILOT STATED 'I KNEW BETTER, AND I SHOULD HAVE WAITED FOR BETTER RUNWAY CONDITIONS. I JUST SCREWED UP.' THE PILOT WAS ATTEMPTING TO REMOVE HIS AIRCRAFT FROM HIS EX-WIFE'S PROPERTY BECAUSE HE WAS 'CONCERNED WITH DAMAGE TO AIRCRAFT BY OTHER PARTIES....' THE COMMERCIALLY CERTIFICATED PILOT INDICATED A TOTAL FLIGHT TIME OF 1,600 HOURS, OF WHICH 1,500 HOURS WERE IN SINGLE-ENGINE AIRCRAFT. HE REPORTED THREE HOURS FLIGHT TIME IN THE ACCIDENT MAKE AND MODEL AIRCRAFT, ALL WITHIN THE PRECEDING 90 DAYS.
SELECTION OF UNSUITABLE TERRAIN BY THE PILOT AND HIS FAILURE TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS OF THE PILOT, TERRAIN CONDITION AND FENCE ON OR NEAR THE AIRSTRIP, THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN THE TYPE OF AIRCRAFT, AND HIS FAILURE TO ATTAIN AIRSPEED.
Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database
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