Small Aircraft; Low Wing; 1 Eng; Fixed Gear
Flight Crew Private
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 25; Flight Crew Total 780; Flight Crew Type 550
Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; General Declared Emergency; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft
My friend and fellow Ercoupe owner contacted me a few weeks ago to test fly his recently restored Ercoupe. After an extensive preflight I performed two static run ups at the hangar before taxiing out to depart. Upon taxiing to the active runway I again performed a static run up at full power for several minutes to ensure proper engine function. Upon being cleared for takeoff; I firewalled the throttle achieving a normal liftoff and climb. At approximately 1;200 FT MSL; the engine began running rough and in a microsecond RPM began to drop. I told Tower I had to land and Tower cleared me to land and at that second the engine quit. Since I had previously determined the minimum altitude required to return to the runway in my Ercoupe and practiced extensively; I knew I could make the runway. I checked the altimeter; saw I barely had enough altitude to return to the runway so I made a hard right turn and made one of my best landings downwind touching down on the last 1/3 of the runway. Turned right onto Taxiway Alpha and coasted a block back down Alpha; didn't even block the runway. There were no injuries and no damage to plane or airport property. I must say that my determining the proper return to runway minimum altitude and practicing at altitude probably saved the day because landing straight ahead at this high density airport would have probably resulted in disaster. When the engine quit; I did not get excited because I knew I cold make the runway. I went into autopilot mode; did what I had practiced and made a successful return. All pilots should make this determination in their particular planes and practice; practice; practice. The cause of the engine stoppage is being determined as we speak.
Pilot of a newly restored Ercoupe reports engine failure at 1;200 FT on departure and is able to land safely; opposite direction on the departure runway.