What happened
On October 19, 2016, an Ercoupe 415C, registration N415WE, was involved in an accident in Lindenwold, New Jersey, resulting in two serious injuries and no fatalities. The flight originated at Flying W Airport (N14) in Lumberton, New Jersey, for a local area flight.
The pilot had previously rented the aircraft and added fuel at Claremont Airport (58M) in Maryland. After departing N14 with a passenger, the crew briefly returned to the airport to adjust a headset before departing for the local flight. Approximately 15 minutes into the flight, while the aircraft was level at 1,200 feet, the engine suddenly lost all power without any input to the throttle. The pilot attempted to use carburetor heat, but the engine did not recover. The aircraft subsequently impacted trees in a residential area.
The investigation
An FAA inspector examined the wreckage and found substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and cockpit. During the inspection of the fuel system, the glass bowl on the fuel filter housing was found to be empty. However, examinations of the engine mounts, crankcase, wiring, and fuel system revealed no anomalies.
During post-accident testing, the engine was able to run briefly in spurts when starting fluid was sprayed into the intake. While the pilot suggested a potential issue with the throttle connection, investigators were unable to verify the status of the throttle cable connection. The engine, a Continental C-75, showed mechanical integrity in the powertrain and valvetrain during testing.