Accident Overview
On March 7, 2015, about 1500 central daylight time, an Ercoupe 415-C airplane, registration N87EV, impacted terrain during a forced landing following a loss of engine power during a go-around near the St Louis Metro-East Airport/Shafer Field (3K6), St Jacob, Illinois. The private pilot was uninjured, and the airplane sustained substantial firewall and wing damage.
Flight Details
The airplane was registered to an individual and operated by the pilot under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a ferry flight. Day visual flight rules conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from the A Paul Vance Fredericktown Regional Airport (H88), near Fredericktown, Missouri, about 1400. The pilot intended to fly to Sackman Field Airport (H49), near Columbia, Illinois, but due to unsafe runway conditions at H49, 3K6 was chosen as an alternate.
Accident Sequence
Upon arrival at 3K6, the pilot executed an aborted landing. He applied engine power and climbed about 150-200 feet. The engine then lost power without any coughing or warning, leading to a forced landing and impact with terrain.
Weather Conditions
At 1358, the recorded weather at Scott Air Force Base/MidAmerica Airport, near Belleville, Illinois, was: wind 230 degrees at 2 knots; visibility 10 statute miles; sky condition clear; temperature 18 degrees C; dew point 1 degree C; altimeter 30.13 inches of mercury.
Examination Findings
A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the accident airplane and observed that fuel exiting from the header fuel tank was not aviation gasoline. During a subsequent engine run, when fed fuel from the header tank containing the accident flight fuel, the engine started, ran rough, and would not accelerate smoothly. After draining the header tank and adding fresh aviation gasoline, the engine ran smoothly and accelerated normally.
Conclusion
The investigation determined that the loss of engine power resulted from fuel that was not aviation gasoline. No probable cause was stated.