CEN11LA490

The pilot reported that the engine lost power during the descent to land. The pilot was unable to restart the engine and could not reach the destination airport, so he performed a forced landing in a nearby field. About 20 gallons of fuel was drained from the airplane’s fuel tanks after the forced landing. The pilot described a history of recent fuel mixture control problems. He stated that during a previous flight, the airplane’s engine appeared to be surging and did not shut down normally when he brought the mixture control to its idle cut-off position. After that incident, the pilot removed the airplane’s fuel mixture control, had it repaired, and then reinstalled it on the airplane. The pilot stated that after he reinstalled the fuel mixture control, he experienced two additional unexplained losses of engine power, but he continued to operate the airplane. Although it is possible that the fuel mixture control reinstallation was not properly done, it was not possible to determine the reason for the loss of engine power because the engine and its systems were not examined due to the remote location of the accident site.

***This report was modified on March 19, 2013. Please see the docket for this accident to view the original report.*** On July 13, 2011, at 1147 mountain daylight time, a Darron Stephen AL-6, amateur built single engine airplane, N61262, experienced a complete loss of engine power while descending to land at Meadow Lake Airport (FLY), Peyton, Colorado. The pilot made a forced landing to an open field and the airplane was substantially damaged. The airplane was registered to and operated by the pilot under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated from San Luis Valley Regional Airport (ALS), Alamosa, Colorado, about 1030. The pilot reported that during descent he recognized that the engine was not providing power and the propeller was simply windmilling. He was unable to restart the engine. During the emergency off-airport landing one wheel went into a low spot in the ground and both main landing gear legs collapsed and partially separated from the fuselage. The airplane continued moving across the ground and came to rest upright. The impacts resulted in the collapse of the main landing gear legs and substantial damage to the lower fuselage. An examination discovered there was more than 20 gallons of fuel on-board the airplane. On a previous instructional flight, with a certified flight instructor on-board, the engine appeared to be surging while in flight. At the conclusion of that flight, the engine would not shut off after bringing the mixture control to idle cut-off and the engine had to be stopped by turning off the magnetos. Following that incident the fuel mixture control was removed, repaired, and reinstalled. The reinstallation of the repaired component on the accident airplane was not done by a person certificated by the Federal Aviation Administration as a repairman or a mechanic. On two different flights following the reinstallation of the fuel mixture control the pilot reported that the engine quit during a landing ground roll when the throttle was brought to the idle position. The pilot did not report that he addressed that problem before he next flew the airplane. A postaccident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector discovered there was more than 20 gallons of fuel remaining onboard the airplane. Due to the remote location of the accident, the airplane’s engine was not further examined.