Blue Oak LLC. CCK-1865 accident near Deadwood, California, August 20, 2018
On August 20, 2018 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 2017 Blue Oak LLC. CCK-1865, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N14CK, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Deadwood, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and the pilot's failure to ensure that the left-wing fuel cap was secure before flight. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to monitor fuel levels while in flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 20, 2018 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Deadwood, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Blue Oak LLC. CCK-1865, built 2017, amateur-built
- Registration
- N14CK · registry record · serial CCK-1865-0077
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After completing routine maintenance on the experimental, amateur-built airplane, the private pilot decided to conduct a test flight near the departure airport. He completed a preflight inspection, a ground engine run, and taxi checks, which were normal; he noted that about 12 gallons of fuel was onboard the airplane. About 10 minutes after departure, he chose to extend the flight, as he did not observe any anomalies with the airplane. After an uneventful period of flight, the airplane was about 500 ft above ground level over mountain ridge tops when the engine lost partial power. The pilot maintained level flight and maneuvered the airplane toward more favorable terrain before the engine lost total power. Subsequently, the pilot performed a forced landing in a small clearing within heavily wooded mountainous terrain. During the landing roll, the airplane struck a tree and came to rest upright. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of preexisting mechanical malfunctions or failures with the engine or fuel system, including the fuel quantity sight gauges, that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that, after the accident, he noticed that the left-wing fuel cap was not fully secured. Wreckage recovery company personnel indicated that the right-wing fuel tank was void of fuel, and the left-wing fuel tank contained about 1/2 gallon of fuel. Review of a photograph provided by the wreckage recovery company taken 10 days after the accident revealed a small amount of residue and discoloration directly aft of the left-wing fuel filler neck, extending to the trailing edge of the fuel tank cover. It is likely that fuel vented through the loose fuel cap in flight, which reduced fuel quantity and led to the subsequent loss of engine power. Further, the pilot failed to adequately monitor the fuel quantity sight gauges while in flight.
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 maneuvering
- Loss of engine power (total) during maneuvering defining event
- Fuel exhaustion during maneuvering
- Off-field or emergency landing during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid management
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- factor Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring equip/instruments › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,443 hours in all; 217 in this make and model; 77 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 2,406 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 28, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 217 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, May 1, 2018; 90 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,865 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycon IO-340-EXP (piston); 217 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: O22 Columbia CA at 11:00 pm
- Destination: O22 Columbia CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 11:35 pm from KO22, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 WPR18LA233.