NTSB Factual Report

On June 18, 2003, at 1120 central daylight time, a Ercoupe 415-C, N94327, owned and operated by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage when it impacted wires during an off airport landing near Atwood, Illinois. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot reported no injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The flight departed from Coles County Memorial Airport, Mattoon, Illinois, at 1045, with an intended destination of Cooch Landing Area Airport (IL31), Atwood, Illinois.

The pilot reported he was following a group of other aircraft into IL31. He stated he had never flown into IL31 before and was unfamiliar with the area. The pilot noted, "I lost sight of the aircraft ahead of me on the downwind leg and never saw the airstrip. I extended my downwind leg to give the other plane time to land. On my final [approach] leg I still did not see the [airport]. ... Ahead I saw what I thought was the airstrip going at an angle from the road."

The pilot stated he saw the power poles but "was told the wires were underground at the field." The pilot noted the airplane struck the wires during approach. The left wing subsequently hit a road sign, causing the airplane to spin into a cornfield. It came to a stop about 300 feet from the road. The pilot reported he was "convinced [the road] was the airstrip [he] was headed for."

The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures during the accident flight.

NTSB Probable Cause

The pilot's selection of an unsuitable landing area and his improper decision to continue the approach without the airport and runway clearly in-sight. Factors contributing to the accident were the pilot's disorientation, the transmission wires, and the road sign.