Nanchang China CJ 6 accident near Buckeye, Arizona, October 9, 2017
On October 9, 2017 at about 11:16 pm local time, a 1992 Nanchang China CJ 6, registered N8NW, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (descent) near Buckeye, Arizona. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the fuel pump’s diaphragm which resulted in fuel system contamination from air and or oil and caused the engine to lose power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 9, 2017 · about 11:16 pm local time
- Place
- Buckeye, Arizona · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Nanchang China CJ 6 UNDESIGNAT, built 1992 · all CJ 6s on the register
- Registration
- N8NW · no longer on the register · serial 4332016
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and passenger onboard the experimental airplane were descending toward the destination at the conclusion of a cross-county flight when the engine rpm began to vary and the engine eventually lost power. The pilot initiated a forced landing to a clearing at a nearby construction site, during which the left wing impacted an obstacle, resulting in substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the fuel pump’s diaphragm, located on the drive shaft, was ruptured. The diaphragm was designed to prevent fuel system contamination. Remnants of the diaphragm were observed on the accessory side of the pump and the diaphragm was located inward from its original position on the drive shaft. It is likely that this ruptured diaphragm caused the fuel system to be contaminated with air and or oil and resulted in the loss of power to the engine. No other mechanical anomalies were revealed that would have precluded normal operation.
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 engine power (partial) during enroute (descent) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Fuel system › Fuel pumps › Failure
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wall/barricade › Effect on equipment
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid condition
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 416.2 hours in all; 27.8 in this make and model; 11.2 in the last 90 days; 5.8 in the last 30 days; 338.2 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: serious injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rear
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: condition inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,086 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Russia M-14P (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VGT Las Vegas NV at 10:00 pm
- Destination: GYR Goodyear AZ
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 11:15 pm from BXK, 15 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
4 documents, released by the NTSB on February 17, 2021. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Airframe and Engine Examination | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Fuel Receipts | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | 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.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.