On April 20, 2000, an Ercoupe (eng & Research Corp.) 415-D (registration N99470) operated by Roger Dale Brown was involved in an aviation accident near Lindsay, TX. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The student pilot's inadequate compensation for wind conditions. A factor was the downdraft wind condition. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive.
A student pilot struck an embankment and fence during approach. The pilot reported a downdraft; investigation revealed the pilot was not endorsed for solo flight.
Accident Details
During an approach to a runway, a student pilot allowed the airplane to descend and impact the top of an embankment and a fence located prior to the runway. According to the pilot, the airplane had encountered a downdraft. The reported wind at the nearest reporting point, located 24 nautical miles south of the accident site, was from 310 degrees at 15 knots gusting to 19 knots at 1053.
Pilot Information
According to an FAA inspector, the student pilot was not and had never been endorsed by an authorized flight instructor for solo flight. Prior to the accident, the student pilot had accumulated 14 total flight hours, of which 11 hours were in the accident airplane.
Aircraft and Flight
The accident airplane struck an embankment and a fence during the approach phase. No further details about the aircraft or flight were provided.