What happened
On August 7, 2024, an Ercoupe 415-C, registration N3093H, crashed in a soybean field near Elkhart, Illinois. The aircraft had previously departed Roben-Hood Airport (RQB) in Big Rapids, Michigan, on August 6, 2024, and landed at Vermilion Regional Airport (DNV) in Danville, Illinois, at approximately 1900. A fuel receipt indicated the pilot had added 16.34 gallons of fuel at DNV.
The pilot had intended to perform a multi-leg cross-country flight ending in Colorado Springs, Colorado. When the pilot failed to arrive at the destination, a missing person report was filed on August 10, 2024, leading the FAA to issue an Alert Notice.
Search efforts were complicated because the aircraft lacked an operating transponder and ADS-B equipment. However, cell phone forensics identified a final ping from the pilot's phone near Mount Pulaski, Illinois, at 0759 on August 7. An Illinois Civil Air Patrol crew located the wreckage approximately 11 miles west of Mount Pulaski on August 10.
The wreckage was found in an east-to-west debris field measuring approximately 140 feet long. The main wreckage, which included the fuselage, engine, propeller, and portions of the wings and empennage, was found upright. A post-impact fire occurred, and the aircraft was destroyed. The pilot sustained 1 fatal injury.