NTSB NYC85LA211 — 1985-08-14 · DEL MAR, New York, United States

Current FAA registration · N3431H

Make / Model: ENGINEERING & RESEARCH ERCOUPE 415-C
Year of manufacture: 1946 · 39 years old at event
Engine: CONT MOTOR A&C75 SERIES (75 hp)
Seats / Engines: 2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19560612
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A3CAF6

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N3431H Ercoupe (Eng & Research Corp.) ERCOUPE 415-C None

Factual narrative

THE PLT WAS REPOSITION THE ACFT AT THE REQUEST OF THE NEW OWNER WHO WAS NOT A RATED PLT. WHILE CLIMBING THRU 2000 FT AGL THE PLT REPORTED HEARING THE ENGINE GROWL AND FELT A LOSS OF POWER. DURING A PRECAUTIONARY DESCENT THE ENGINE SEIZED AND THE PLT MADE A FORCED LANDING IN A CORN FIELD. INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED TWO SIEZED PISTONS AND HEAT DAMAGE THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE. THE TWO REMAINING CYLINDERS THAT WERE NOT DAMAGED APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN RECENTLY REPLACED WITHOUT THE APPROPRIATE LOGBOOK NOTATIONS. THE ACFT HAD BEEN PURCHASED TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT AND THE SELLER REFUSED TO FLY THE ACFT. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1985_NYC85LA211.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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