Nanchang China CJ-6A accident near Walsenburg, Colorado, July 21, 2012
On July 21, 2012 at about 5:35 pm local time, a Nanchang China CJ-6A, registered N96YK, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern base) near Walsenburg, Colorado (Spanish Peaks airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control while turning from base to final leg in the traffic pattern.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 21, 2012 · about 5:35 pm local time · cases in 2012
- Place
- Walsenburg, Colorado · Spanish Peaks · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Nanchang China CJ-6A · all CJ-6As on the register
- Registration
- N96YK · no longer on the register · serial 1232007
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses observed the airplane as it entered the downwind leg of the traffic pattern and saw the landing gear and flaps configured for landing. They stated that the airplane's airspeed appeared to slow as the airplane turned right toward the runway. According to the witnesses, during the turn, the airplane's bank angle and roll rate increased and directional control of the airplane was lost. The airplane entered a nose-low spiral and rapidly descended. Based on the witness reports of the airplane’s steep bank angle and low altitude, it is likely the airplane stalled during the turn from base-to-final leg in the traffic pattern, and the pilot was unable to regain control before it impacted terrain. A postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal any mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR pattern base) defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during approach (VFR pattern base)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 500 hours in all; 50 in this make and model
- Last flight review: July 26, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,718 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 14, 2013
- Maximum gross weight: 3,086 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Huosai 6JIA (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Jeff Morhet LLC
The flight
- Departed from: Undetermined
- Destination: 4V1 Walsenburg CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 08, 4,506 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 5:53 pm from KPUB, 38 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
11 documents, released by the NTSB on August 26, 2013. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Witness Statements | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Chart of Accident Area, Just West of the Spanish Peaks Airport, Walsenburg, Co | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Reports and Records: Kpub | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 1: Wreckage, Front View | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo 2: Wreckage, Rear View | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo 3: Blade "A" | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo 4: Blade "B" | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Correspondence: Andrews | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 11 | Miscellaneous: Density Altitude Data | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N96YK: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Nanchang China CJ-6 162 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Nanchang China 175 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Huosai 6JIA · as the NTSB recorded it
- Spanish Peaks Airfield · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Colorado 2,860 since 1982 · 384 in the last ten years
- Colorado 7,455 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/CEN12FA462.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.