Cub Crafters CCK-1865 accident near Moab, Utah, June 30, 2019
On June 30, 2019 at about 2:36 pm local time, a 2013 Cub Crafters CCK-1865, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N66DN, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Moab, Utah. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilots failure to maintain clearance from terrain while maneuvering at a low altitude in mountainous terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 30, 2019 · about 2:36 pm local time
- Place
- Moab, Utah · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cub Crafters CCK-1865 Undesignat, built 2013, amateur-built
- Registration
- N66DN · no longer on the register · serial CCK-1865-0038
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot and private pilot flew a local flight in mountainous terrain. The airplane headed southwest down a nearby canyon toward rising mountainous terrain and impacted a ridgeline about 11 miles from the departure airport. The pilots were likely maneuvering near the canyon wall to get appropriate displacement for a turn reversal. However, terrain clearance was not maintained with the ridgeline in the canyon that was perpendicular to the route of flight. No significant weather or turbulence was reported or forecast for the area. Analysis of the airplane’s onboard recorded flight data revealed no anomalies that would have precluded normal operation. Engine parameters indicated normal operation, and the airplane had an adequate amount of fuel on board just before the accident. The recovered data, along with evidence obtained from the airplane wreckage, were consistent with controlled flight into terrain.
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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during maneuvering defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Mountainous/hilly terrain › Ability to respond/compensate
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of available resources › Pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 210 hours in all
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: unk
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Aerosport OX-340CC-B3J4 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CNY Moab UT at 2:08 pm
- Destination: CNY Moab UT
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from CNY, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on February 23, 2022. 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 | Electronic Devices - Specialist's Factual Report | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Attachment 1 to Electronic Devices - Specialist's Factual Report | data file | Download |
| 3 | Attachment 2 to Electronic Devices - Specialist's Factual Report | data file | Download |
| 4 | Cny Weather | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Record of Email Wx | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Record of Email | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Record of Conversation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Accident Site Summary Report Final | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 2 pages | 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.