Nanchang CJ-6A accident near Molalla, Oregon, May 3, 1996
On May 3, 1996 at about 10:15 pm local time, a Nanchang CJ-6A, registered N62160, was substantially damaged in an accident near Molalla, Oregon (Skydive airport). It was a ferry flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to adequately plan the approach, and his misjudgment of distance and speed during the landing. The wet runway was a related factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 3, 1996 · about 10:15 pm local time · cases in 1996
- Place
- Molalla, Oregon · Skydive · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Nanchang CJ-6A · all CJ-6As on the register
- Registration
- N62160 · no longer on the register · serial 3632011
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Ferry flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that shortly after takeoff for a long cross-country ferry flight, he did not think that the engine sounded right and he made a precautionary landing to an airfield. The pilot stated that the runway was wet, and when he applied brakes, the airplane did not slow sufficiently to stop before it traveled off the runway and collided with a ditch. After the accident, the braking system was inspected and no mechanical failure or malfunction was found. The tires displayed a worn spot, and the tread was melted. Later, the pilot reported that he did not feel that the brakes failed. He believed that due to the wet runway and landing long (1,000 feet down the 2,400 foot runway), he was not able to stop the airplane before it ran off the runway.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,500 hours in all; 200 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rear
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 285 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 30, 1996; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Housia 6A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3S2 Aurora OR at 10:00 pm
- Destination: LMT Klamath Falls OR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,400 ft by 24 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 50 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N62160: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Nanchang CJ-6 7 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Nanchang 8 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Housia 6A · as the NTSB recorded it
- Crater Lake/Klamath Regional · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Oregon 1,864 since 1982 · 279 in the last ten years
- Oregon 7,008 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/SEA96LA087.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.