Accident Sequence
On July 13, 2011, at 1147 mountain daylight time, a Darron Stephen AL-6 amateur-built single-engine airplane, registration N61262, experienced a complete loss of engine power while descending to land at Meadow Lake Airport (FLY) in Peyton, Colorado. The pilot, the sole occupant, initiated a forced landing to an open field. During the landing, one wheel entered a low spot in the terrain, causing both main landing gear legs to collapse and partially separate from the fuselage. The airplane continued moving across the ground and came to rest upright. The accident resulted in substantial damage to the lower fuselage and collapse of the main landing gear legs. The pilot was not injured.
Previous Maintenance and Flight History
The accident flight originated from San Luis Valley Regional Airport (ALS) in Alamosa, Colorado, at about 1030. Prior to the accident, the airplane had experienced an engine surge during an instructional flight with a certified flight instructor. After that flight, the engine would not shut off when the mixture control was brought to idle cut-off; the engine was eventually stopped by deactivating the magnetos. Following that incident, the fuel mixture control was removed, repaired, and reinstalled. The reinstallation was not performed by a person certificated by the Federal Aviation Administration as a repairman or mechanic.
Subsequent Engine Quits
After the mixture control reinstallation, on two separate flights, the engine quit during the landing ground roll when the throttle was reduced to idle. The pilot did not report addressing this problem before the next flight, which was the accident flight.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that more than 20 gallons of fuel remained on board the airplane. Due to the remote location of the accident, the engine was not further examined.