Loss of Control in Flight · NTSB CEN13FA081
ERCOUPE 415-C — Blair, NE
| Date | November 29, 2012 |
| Location | Blair, NE |
| Aircraft | ERCOUPE 415-C |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Dusk · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Uncontrolled descent Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 92 |
| Pilot total time | 5,400 hrs · High time |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 1 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Physical-Impairment/incapacitation-Cardiovascular-Pilot - C
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot - C
- Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-(general)-Not attained/maintained - C
- Personnel issues-Physical-Sensory ability/limitation-Visual function-Pilot
What happened
Witnesses reported seeing a low-flying airplane strike power lines near an auto dealership parking lot. There was a flash of light, and the airplane descended nose down into some parked trucks. When witnesses reached the airplane, the pilot was already deceased. However, none of the described injuries should have been immediately fatal. According to the autopsy report, the 92-year-old pilot’s death was attributed to severe coronary arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis (quadruple vessel disease). Arteriosclerosis was noted throughout the main coronary arteries. The pilot most likely lost control of his airplane due to an acute coronary event related to his underlying severe coronary artery disease and that he was dead before the aircraft crashed. Federal Aviation Administration medical records, however, did not describe any coronary disease. The toxicology report did not find any medications associated with treated coronary disease. The pilot’s coronary disease likely was undiagnosed.