Accident Overview
On December 25, 2018, at approximately 0948 mountain standard time, an experimental amateur-built RV-6 airplane, registration N711JK, was destroyed in a postcrash fire near Watkins, Colorado. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight was conducted as a personal flight under Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.
Pilot's Account
The pilot reported that he had purchased the airplane about two months before the accident. A prepurchase inspection by an airframe and powerplant mechanic identified that the fuel and oil lines needed replacement. The pilot, who also held an airframe and powerplant license, replaced all fuel lines approximately one month before the accident and subsequently flew the airplane for about 1.5 hours prior to the accident flight.
On the day of the accident, the pilot departed from Front Range Airport (FTG) in Watkins, Colorado (since renamed Colorado Air and Space Port Airport [CFO]) at about 0920, heading east. He planned to fly 8 to 10 miles east to check navigation system indications for an instrument landing system approach to runway 26 and to conduct touch-and-go landings in the traffic pattern.
During the initial climb for the second touch-and-go landing, when the airplane reached between 200 and 300 feet above ground level near mid-field, the pilot noticed an unusual odor. He looked inside the cockpit and saw flames coming from the floor forward of his rudder pedals. He immediately rejected the takeoff and transmitted a mayday message reporting the fire. He executed a normal three-point landing on the departure runway, exited onto an adjoining taxiway, and stopped the airplane. The pilot then turned off the fuel valve, shut down the engine using the mixture control, turned off all electrical switches, and exited the aircraft. A postcrash fire ensued that consumed the airplane.
Postaccident Examination
Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that all four fuel lines exhibited thermal damage and soot on their exteriors, consistent with exposure to fire. One end of a fuel line contained soot deposits in the first three threads of the line’s attachment fitting.
Probable Cause
The investigation did not determine a probable cause. The source report does not include a stated cause.