No fatalities

10 Jan 2010: ENGINEERING & RESEARCH ERCOUPE 415-CD — VAN KAMPEN ANTHONY J — New London, WI

New London, WI, United States

On 10 Jan 2010, an ENGINEERING & RESEARCH ERCOUPE 415-CD operated by VAN KAMPEN ANTHONY J was involved in an aviation accident near New London, WI. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot's decision to land with a tailwind on the snow- and ice-covered runway. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 12 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

SourcesNTSBPrimary reportUpdated 1778583330Data APIEditorial standards

A pilot reported nosing over after landing on a snow- and ice-covered grass runway. The aircraft sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and wings.

Incident Overview

A pilot reported that an accident occurred while returning to the airport after a local flight. According to the pilot, he checked the windsock, which indicated that the winds were favoring runway 18, but he decided to land on runway 36.

Runway Conditions

The grass runway was covered with snow and ice. The pilot noted that only half the length of the runway had been plowed.

Landing and Sequence of Events

During the landing roll, the pilot stated that he was unable to slow the airplane down. The airplane subsequently nosed over after contacting a snowbank at the end of the runway. The pilot and any occupants used a cell phone to call for help, and the airplane had to be lifted in order for them to get out.

Pilot's Decision

The pilot chose to land on runway 36 because the hangar was located at the north end of the airport, and landing on runway 36 would avoid the need to turn around and back taxi on the runway to reach the hangar.

Damage

The airplane received substantial damage to the fuselage and wings.

Contributing factors

Causes

Pilot

Other contributing factors

Contributed to outcomeDecision related to condition