Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
the student pilot's inadequate recovery from a bounced landing. A factor in the accident was the suddenly changing wind condition.
Aircraft Information
Analysis
On March 31, 1995, at 1215 eastern standard time, an Ercoupe 415-C, N99248, was substantially damaged during landing on a grass strip at Bucks Airport in Bridgeton, New Jersey. The student pilot, the sole occupant, was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. The solo instructional flight originated from the Millville Municipal Airport in Millville, New Jersey, about 1145, and was destined for the Bucks Airport. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
The pilot reported that he "...flew over airport, checked wind sock - no wind." He stated that during touchdown, he felt the airplane "accelerate." He stated that after initial touchdown, the airplane bounced into the air two more times. He stated on the third touchdown, the nose wheel "...buckled and [the airplane's] front end plowed into [the] ground."
The pilot reported, "I jumped from [the] cockpit [and] felt very strong wind on my back - wind sock standing straight out...Wind gusting very hard...."
The pilot reported the grass strip was dry and in "excellent" condition. He also reported that there were no airplane mechanical malfunctions prior to the accident.
The pilot wrote that, in hindsight, "At 1st contact I should have throttled up and went around."
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# BFO95LA047