At about 1500 Central time, the airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing. The private pilot and pilot-rated-passenger were not injured. Visual conditions prevailed. The accident occurred during the airplane’s second flight since receiving its experimental airworthiness certificate; its maiden flight was completed earlier in the day by the pilot-rated passenger.
The second flight was to complete basic flight maneuvers, verify/calibrate cockpit instrumentation and perform takeoffs and landings at a nearby airport. Subsequently, during the final landing at the nearby airport, the engine experienced a total loss of power during the landing roll. The pilot restarted the engine and took off for the airplane’s base airport. Shortly after establishing communications with the ATC tower, the airplane experienced another total loss of engine power about 3 miles east of the destination airport.
The airplane did not have sufficient altitude remaining to glide to a runway; the pilot performed a forced landing to a nearby vacant field. The left main and nose landing gears collapsed during the landing roll, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing primary structure and the forward fuselage.
