Accident Ercoupe 415CD N94740, Sunday 21 April 1985

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Date:	Sunday 21 April 1985
Time:	12:30 LT
Type:	Ercoupe 415CD
Owner/operator:	Private
Registration:	N94740
MSN:	4851
Year of manufacture:	1946
Total airframe hrs:	2788 hours
Engine model:	Continental C-85-12-F
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	St. Paul, MN - United States of America
Phase:	Initial climb
Nature:	Private
Departure airport:	(KSTP)
Destination airport:	Minneapolis, MN (FCM
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, WHILE CLIMBING THRU APRX 700 FT AGL, THE ENG DEVELOPED A SEVERE VIBRATION & A LOUD 'CLANKING' SOUND. THESE WERE FOLLOWED BY A PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER. DURING A SUBSEQUENT FORCED LANDING, THE ACFT'S RIGHT WING HIT A TREE & THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED ON ROUGH TERRAIN. AN EXAM OF THE ENG REVEALED THAT THE #3 EXHAUST VALVE, PN 3921, HAD FAILED NEAR THE STEM-HEAD. THE ENG HAD 1040 HRS IN SERVICE SINCE MAJOR OVERHAUL.

Probable Cause:

Accident investigation: