N111XFBender Thomas G RV-6 · 1997

On January 2, 2024, at 1030 mountain standard time, an experimental amateur-built Vans RV-6, N111XF, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Moriarty, New Mexico. The pilot received minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The pilot reported that the airplane operated normally through preflight and initial takeoff. Shortly after becoming airborne, and while still over the runway, the engine began to “stutter” and lose power. The pilot turned on the electric fuel pump, but the engine did not respond. During the forced landing that followed, the airplane exited the runway and the landing gear collapsed, substantially damaging the fuselage.

The pilot reported that 6 to 12 months before the accident, he had experienced a similar instance of an engine failure during takeoff, but he was able to land during that instance. He determined that the fuel pump had failed and he replaced the failed fuel pump at that time with one that he reported had been originally installed on a Lycoming engine when he rebuilt it in 1954.

Attempts to contact the pilot to access the airplane and engine for an examination were unsuccessful. The airframe and engine logbooks were not located during the investigation. According to FAA inspectors, the pilot had not completed a biannual flight review “in decades” and his last recorded application for a medical certificate was denied in 2009.