Nanchang China CJ-6A N6263D

Summary

On 7 February 2010 at about 15:40 local time, a Nanchang China CJ-6A registered N6263D was involved in an accident near Mesa, Arizona, United States. 2 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

7 February 2010 at 15:40

Classification

Accident

Location

Mesa, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Falcon Field Airport (FFZ)

Coordinates

33.4564, -111.7236

Aircraft

Nanchang China CJ-6A

Registration

N6263D

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Falcon Field → Falcon Field

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

WPR10LA130

1 person had minor injuries.

Separation of the cylinder from the engine during cruise flight due to fatigue in the studs attaching it to the engine casing.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that about 30 minutes into the 45 minute-long flight, the engine began vibrating and he maneuvered the airplane back towards the airport. As the airplane joined the downwind leg of the traffic pattern, the pilot heard a "bang," followed by the engine experiencing complete loss of engine power. Unable to land at the airport due to altitude loss, the pilot performed a forced landing in an adjacent park. During the landing sequence the airplane struck a building while the pilot attempted to avoid a pedestrian. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and forward fuselage. Examination of the radial engine revealed that one of the cylinder heads and its associated piston had become separated. The remaining internal sections of the engine sustained catastrophic damage, consistent with continued rotation after the failure of the cylinder. Half of the studs attaching the failed cylinder to the head exhibited fatigue signatures consistent with insufficient clamping pressure applied to their nuts. A full service history for the engine was not located; however, maintenance records indicated that the cylinder head had not been removed in the 11 years and 317 flight hours prior to the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.