Nanchang CJ-6A accident near Ocean City, Maryland, May 30, 1999
On May 30, 1999 at about 4:50 pm local time, a Nanchang CJ-6A, registered N4MF, was involved in an accident near Ocean City, Maryland (Ocean City Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Was the pilot leaving the magneto switch in the on position while hand rotating the propeller.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 30, 1999 · about 4:50 pm local time
- Place
- Ocean City, Maryland · Ocean City Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Nanchang CJ-6A · all CJ-6As on the register
- Registration
- N4MF · registry record · serial 2951203
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot completed the 'before starting engines' checklist prior to departure. The flight was delayed, and the pilot became concerned about oil collecting in the lower cylinders of the radial engine, and the potential for internal damage during engine start due to hydraulic lock. He elected to clear the oil from the cylinders by hand-propping the engine. The pilot left the cockpit, and rotated the propeller by hand. The engine started instantly and threw the pilot to the ground with serious injuries. According to the pilot, examination of the cockpit after the accident revealed the magneto switch was still in the 'on' position.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot, flight engineer, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 11,500 hours in all; 350 in this make and model; 275 in the last 90 days; 92 in the last 30 days; 8,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,330 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 18, 1998; 177 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,086 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: China HUISAI-6 JIA (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OXB
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:50 pm from SBY, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number IAD99LA047.