Amateur-built AL-6 N61262 accident near Peyton, Colorado

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.

NTSB 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.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN11LA490 for the full record.