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DEN90LA137

1990-06-16 · TRUTH/CONSEQUEN, New Mexico, United States · Minor · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport TCS

Current FAA registration · N94351

Make / Model
ERCOUPE 415-C
Year of manufacture
1946 · 44 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR A&C75 SERIES (75 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19561026
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AD1B6E

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN PROPER AIRSPEED AND OBTAIN A PROPER CLIMB RATE AFTER TAKEOFF.

Factual narrative

THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO TAKEOFF. THE PASSENGER REPORTED THAT THE PILOT LIFTED OFF AT 60 MILES PER HOUR, PULLED THE PLANE UP STEEPLY UNTIL THE AIRSPEED BLED OFF, PUSHED THE NOSE OVER TO REGAIN AIRSPEED AND REPEATED THIS MANEUVER TWICE MORE BEFORE THE PLANE REACHED THE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE PASSENGER SAID THE PILOT DECIDED TO LAND ON THE END OF THE RUNWAY, AND REDUCED POWER, BUT HAD TO ADD POWER AGAIN TO CLEAR A FENCE. THE PILOT THEN REDUCED POWER, ASKED THE PASSENGER TO SHUT OFF THE FUEL, AND MADE A FORCED LANDING IN THE MESQUITE BRUSH, DAMAGING THE NOSE GEAR, ENGINE MOUNTS, AND BOTH WINGS, SUBSTANTIALLY. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1990_DEN90LA137.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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