Now let's wait a minute here! This accident caused a great deal of grief to Ercoupe owners, and many of the facts have been left out of the NTSB published accident cause.
First of all, the accident aircraft had hidden damage of which the aircraft owner was aware. There were multiple, I repeat, multiple flights with aerobatics such as rolls and loops included. Both the passenger and the Pilot were extremely heavy. It is noted in the accident report that the crack on the main spar began ate a point where someone drilled and tapped two adjacent 6X32 holes. The date of the accident is March 9, 2004 in Oakdale, California. This is the only Ercoupe accident that the NTSB ever concluded was caused by corrosion caused spar failure, and none of the above mentioned items. Wayne Woollard ----- Original Message ----- From: Daniel Arditi To: [email protected] Cc: [email protected] ; [email protected] Sent: Sunday, April 12, 2009 6:12 PM Subject: Re: [ercoupe-tech] Ercoupe goes down Rick and Pat Barnes wrote: Remember the Ercoupe is designed to be the safest aircraft in the World. Its so safe it will barely kill you but it can!!!!. Yes, it is true, in my modest opinion, you have to also take into account that that was said 60 or so years ago ... today flying an old plane involves lot of things that by those years were not a problem at all (i,e corrosion, ADs, proper maintenance, and things that in a new plane do not count). And speaking about old planes, I think it is all the same. To think that an Ercoupe is safer than another plane of the 40´s, in my opinion, it is not only erroneous but dangerous. Tomorrow I spent a short while reading the NTSB aviation accident database. Just to mention one Ercoupe accident (Last paragraph): National Transportation Safety Board Washington, DC 20594 Brief of Accident Adopted 01/31/2006 "The National Transportation Safety Board determines the probable cause(s) of this accident as follows. the in-flight separation of the main spar due to corrosion in the wing center section not detectable by inspection methods described in manufacturer's service bulletins and FAA airworthiness Directives." Please understand, I am not trying to say that that was the problem with tomorrow´s plane. I am only trying to reinforce the idea that the safest aircraft in the world nowadays are probably not those of the 40´s. Really sad news. Regards to you all. Daniel Arditi Buenos Aires, Argentina ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: flyboyhorseman <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Sunday, April 12, 2009 3:30:37 AM Subject: [ercoupe-tech] Ercoupe goes down I'm sure that Randy and Lauren are with the Lord at the moment. it sure is sad to hear a fellow Ercouper has gone west and the sad to hear a young life is lost. Keep them in your prayers along with their families and friends. Remember the Ercoupe is designed to be the safest aircraft in the World Its so safe it will barely kill you but it can!!!!. Rick and Pat Barnes N214RP 415-CD
