Accident Details
On March 20, 2008, about 1430 Pacific daylight time, an Ercoupe 415-D, N3942H, conducted an off-airport forced landing following takeoff from Flabob Airport in Riverside, California. The pilot, a certificated airline transport pilot, was not injured. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the firewall. The personal cross-country flight was destined for Santa Monica, California. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan had been filed.
Flight Information
The pilot reported fueling the airplane with 12 gallons of gasoline and sumping the wing tanks prior to departure. The flight departed from runway 24. During the initial climb, at the end of the runway, the engine lost power.
Narrative
Following the power loss, the pilot performed a forced landing onto the grass infield of the airport. During the landing roll, the nose wheel entered a gopher hole, causing the airplane to nose over forward.
Post-Crash Findings
Post-crash examination confirmed substantial damage to the firewall. The pilot reported finding water in the gascolator and noted that it had recently rained. The pilot opined that a more thorough preflight could have prevented the accident.