ERCOUPE DEPARTURE ENGINE FAILURE IN ARGENTINA. Last week, one of the members of the newly created Ercoupe Club of Argentina had an engine failure on departure. The aircraft LV RPN had recently landed to pick up a passenger. Before departure the pilot in command, Aodolfo Pomo, did a regular check of the fuel system draining the tanks and gascolator. On departure, the engine failed. There was also a strong smell of gasoline. The pilot reacted quickly by making an emergency landing in a field a short distance from the runway. The landing was succesful with both occupants and plane suffering no damage. Upon inspection of the gascolator it was noted that the insides of the Curtis drain valve were missing. This caused gasoline to drain out of the gascolator. The aircraft will be inspected by the local aviation authorities and the official results will be shared here when available. In the meantime, I would strongly suggest making sure when we drain fuel, that we take care to avoid snapping our Curtis valve shut and inspect it regularly to make sure it does not come apart. As a question to the group, This is called a Curtis valve. Is Curtis the manufacturer? Are ( were) there more than one manufacturers? Adolfo confirms he never snaps the valve closed but uses a drain tube to collect the fuel and allows the piston to return slowly.
I have not taken one apart yet but believe it is a one piece piston check with the seal area larger than the passage so the bit would still be in the gascolator. It has not been disassembled yet. The weakest point in the assembly is,in theory, the part of the shaft that is drilled to allow the pin to go through. Adolfo and the rest of the Ercoupe group in Argentina will be monitoring replies and comments on this board which is in English and translating them for their local readership. Alan Fairclough N87333 N94694
