Nanchang CJ-6A accident near Pageland, South Carolina, May 16, 1998
On May 16, 1998 at about 5:40 pm local time, a Nanchang CJ-6A, registered N158T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pageland, South Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Was the inadvertent stall of the airplane by the pilot-in-command while attempting to clear trees beneath the airplane during the descent for the forced landing. Contributing to the accident was the partial loss of engine power due to separation of the No.9 cylinder from the engine.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 16, 1998 · about 5:40 pm local time
- Place
- Pageland, South Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Nanchang CJ-6A · all CJ-6As on the register
- Registration
- N158T · no longer on the register · serial 3151213
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During cruise flight about 800 feet above ground level about 1.5 miles east of the destination airport, the pilot felt a vibration and observed an object protruding through the engine cowling. Unable to maintain altitude due to the loss of engine power, the pilot attempted a forced landing in a field. With the landing gear and speed brake extended, after clearing trees, the airplane stalled, impacted the ground nose low, then nosed over. Examination of the engine revealed that the No.9 cylinder was separated from the engine. Disassembly of the engine revealed that the No.9 cylinder piston was failed, the auxiliary rod end sleeve was missing, and the auxiliary rod piston pin hole was elongated. The maintenance records indicate that the engine had accumulated 425 hours since new at the time of failure.
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 114 hours in all; 28 in this make and model; 28 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 74 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,983 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 1998; 31 hours since
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Housia HJ-9 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 47J Cheraw SC at 5:30 pm
- Destination: PYG Pageland SC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from CLT, 42 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 MIA98LA163.