# NTSB CEN11LA490: Darrow Stephen AL-6, N61262, Peyton, CO, July 13, 2011 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Limited investigation · Final report - Date: July 13, 2011, 11:47 local (17:47 UTC) - Place: Peyton, CO - Coordinates: 38.939723, -104.538612 (estimated) - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.9397&lon=-104.5386&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Enroute](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/400) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Enroute-descent: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report March 19, 2013 - Report: Approved by Office Director - NTSB office: Central Region - Parties: FAA Denver FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 81170 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=CEN11LA490 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/81170/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=81170 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11LA490 ## Probable cause The loss of engine power during the descent for reasons that could not be determined because a thorough examination of the engine could not be completed due to the remote accident site. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Engine (reciprocating)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058500): Aircraft › Aircraft power plant · Malfunction (probable cause); cases with it: [Darrow Stephen AL-6, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058500/cases.md?model=05605HW), [All aircraft, 497 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01058500/cases.md) - [Not determined](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000): Not determined › Not determined · Unknown/Not determined (probable cause); cases with it: [Darrow Stephen AL-6, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md?model=05605HW), [All aircraft, 2,247 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/05000000/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Prior to flight: Aircraft maintenance event](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/040); cases with it: [Darrow Stephen AL-6, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/040/sequence.md?model=05605HW), [All aircraft, 484 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/040/sequence.md) - [Enroute-descent: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Darrow Stephen AL-6, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=05605HW), [All aircraft, 3,820 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md) - [Emergency descent: Off-field or emergency landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440); cases with it: [Darrow Stephen AL-6, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md?model=05605HW), [All aircraft, 3,365 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/440/sequence.md) - [Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Darrow Stephen AL-6, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=05605HW), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis 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. ## Factual narrative ***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. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N61262](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N61262-2020-12-08), registration cancelled 2020-12-08, S/N 96131, built 1997 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: DARROW STEPHEN AL-6 - Registry model: [Darrow Stephen AL-6](https://openairdocs.org/model/darrow-stephen-al-6) (registry code 05605HW) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental O-470 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-o-470-series) (registry code 17026, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane, amateur-built - Serial number: 96131 - Airframe hours: 421 - Engines: Continental IO-470-V 265 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Personal, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Special, Experimental (Special) - Last inspection: Condition, October 24, 2010, 25 hours before - Departed: ALS, Alamosa, CO - Destination: FLY, Peyton, CO - Airport: FLY, Meadow Lake Airport ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 70; injuries: none; private; airplane ratings: single-engine land, multi-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 3; last flight review July 1, 2011; seat: left; flight hours: 2,342 total, 145 in this make and model, 1,900 as pilot in command, 11 in the last 90 days, 8 in the last 30 days, 3 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 180° at 10 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 77 °F, dew point 54 °F - Altimeter: 30.20 inHg - Observed at: KFLY, 1 nm away ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20110713013909A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20110713013909A), Jul 13, 2011: Darrow Stephen AL-6, Peyton, CO, Substantial damage. On July 13, 2011, an experimental aircraft, N61262, was substantially damaged during an off-airport landing near meadow lake airport. One person on board with… ## Docket (7 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on December 18, 2012, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=81170. 1.1 MB in all. - Pilot/Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 (item 1, .PDF, 325 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40358688&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Pilot%2FOperator%20Aircraft%20Accident%20Report,%20NTSB%20Form%206120.1-Redacted.PDF - Record of Pilot's Comments to an FAA Inspector (item 2, .PDF, 56 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40358689&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Record%20of%20Pilot%27s%20Comments%20to%20an%20FAA%20Inspector-Master.PDF - Witness Statement (item 3, .PDF, 145 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40358691&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Witness%20Statement-Redacted.PDF - Maps (item 4, .PDF, 266 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40358690&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Maps-Master.PDF - Photo 1 - Pre-accident photo of N61262 (item 5, .PDF, 46 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40358693&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%201%20-%20Pre-accident%20photo%20of%20N61262-Master.PDF - Photo 2 - Wide View of Airplane Wreckage (item 6, .PDF, 151 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40358696&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%202%20-%20Wide%20View%20of%20Airplane%20Wreckage-Master.PDF - Photo 3 - Close View of Damage to Forward Fuselage, Landing Gear, Engine Cowling and Propeller (item 7, .PDF, 119 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=40358697&FileExtension=.PDF&FileName=Photo%203%20-%20Close%20View%20of%20Damage%20to%20Forward%20Fuselage,%20Landing%20Gear,%20Engine%20Cowling%20and%20Propeller-Master.PDF From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.