N566JH

On September 27, 2006, at approximately 1300 mountain daylight time, a Coltrin RV-6 experimental homebuilt airplane, N566JH, was substantially damaged when it flipped inverted following a forced landing attempt near the Burley Municipal Airport, Burley, Idaho. The commercial pilot, the sole occupant on board, was not injured. The pilot/owner was operating the airplane under Title 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the personal local flight which had originated approximately 50 minutes before the accident. The pilot had not filed a flight plan.

The pilot said he had entered down wind for landing and had pulled the throttle back to idle prior to turning base. While on base, he pushed the throttle forward to clear the engine; the engine did not respond. The pilot changed fuel tanks, checked boost pump, and manipulated the throttle with no engine response. He performed a forced landing to a potato field and the aircraft flipped inverted immediately after touchdown. The left horizontal stabilizer and the vertical stabilizer were bent and wrinkled.

The pilot said that the engine's carburetor had been worked on within the year and he believes the power loss was due to the malfunctioning of the carburetor.