Pilot And Passenger Seriously Injured When Ercoupe Went Down

The passenger aboard an Ercoupe that went down in a residential neighborhood in Lindenwold, NJ told the NTSB that the airplane had a throttle issue and lost power before it went down.

The Board's preliminary report indicates that the 1946 Ercoupe 415C, N415WE, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain in Lindenwold, New Jersey. The private pilot and passenger were seriously injured. No flight plan was filed for the flight that originated at Flying W Airport (N14), Lumberton, New Jersey. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal flight conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

According to an FAA inspector, the pilot reported that he rented the airplane at Claremont Airport (58M), Elkton, Maryland, and added 9 gallons of fuel to the airplane before departing. He flew to N14 without incident to pick up the passenger, and they then departed for a local area flight.

The passenger reported that during the flight the pilot stated, "something was wrong with the throttle" before the engine began to lose power. The airplane subsequently impacted terrain and sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and the cockpit.

The aircraft was powered by a Continental C-75, 75 horsepower engine. The wreckage was retained for further examination.

(Source: NTSB. Image from file. Not accident airplane)

FMI: Preliminary report