Skip to content

GAA16CA105

2016-01-13 · Chappell, Nebraska, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport CNP

Current FAA registration · N87405

Make / Model
ENGINEERING & RESEARCH ERCOUPE 415-C
Year of manufacture
1946 · 70 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR 0-200 SERIES (100 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
20030523
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S AC07A8

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot's inability to correct for a crosswind during the takeoff roll due to the interlinked flight control design, which resulted in a runway excursion, and a collision with terrain.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that during the takeoff roll with gusting wind, the right wing "lifted up sharply." He reported that at full power he attempted to rotate, the airplane departed the runway to the right, and the left wing impacted a snow bank. When the left wing impacted the snow bank, he reported that the airplane "swung" back to the left, and came to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot stated that the airplane is a "standard Ercoupe, with integrated nose-wheel steering, rudder and aileron, and no toe brakes." The pilot additionally stated that, "once the right wing lifted, it didn't matter what I did, the aircraft was going to go off the runway to the right" and that, "without rudder pedals and independent aileron authority to work a crosswind, it was not going to happen." The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that during the takeoff roll with gusting wind, the right wing "lifted up sharply." He reported that at full power he attempted to rotate, the airplane departed the runway to the right, and the left wing impacted a snow bank. When the left wing impacted the snow bank, he reported that the airplane "swung" back to the left, and came to rest. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot stated that the airplane is a "standard Ercoupe, with integrated nose-wheel steering, rudder and aileron, and no toe brakes." The pilot additionally stated that, "once the right wing lifted, it didn't matter what I did, the aircraft was going to go off the runway to the right" and that, "without rudder pedals and independent aileron authority to work a crosswind, it was not going to happen." The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • C Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Flight control system-(general)-Design - C
  • C Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Crosswind correction-Attain/maintain not possible - C
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Effect on equipment
  • — Environmental issues-Conditions/weather/phenomena-Wind-Crosswind-Ability to respond/compensate

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2016_GAA16CA105.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (runway excursion). All research papers