Cubcrafters INC CC11-160 accident near Borrego Springs, California, March 18, 2017
On March 18, 2017 at about 3:03 pm local time, a 2010 Cubcrafters INC CC11-160, registered N153JM, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Borrego Springs, California. It was a personal 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s selection of an unsuitable takeoff area, which resulted in impact with obstacles.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 18, 2017 · about 3:03 pm local time
- Place
- Borrego Springs, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cubcrafters INC CC11-160 NO SERIES, built 2010 · all CC11-160s on the register
- Registration
- N153JM · registry record · serial CC11-00153
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot reported that he landed off airport to an unimproved surface. He remarked that the "airplane only needs about 60 feet of ground roll to become airborne." During the attempted takeoff, the airplane ascended about 2 ft above ground level before the landing gear wheel impacted desert shrubs, and the pilot aborted the takeoff. The airplane touched down and developed a side load, and the right main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the lower fuselage tube struts and the firewall. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane 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
- Collision during takeoff/land during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff (rejected takeoff)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Not attained/maintained
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Effect on operation
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › (general) › Decision related to condition
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 670 hours in all; 141 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 116 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 12, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 306 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 12, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cub Crafters Inc CC340 (piston); 311 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: L08 Boreggo Springs CA at 3:45 pm
- Destination: KUDD Bermuda Dunes CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from KNJK, 34 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
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 GAA17CA227.