Cub Crafters CCK-1865 accident near Valley Center, California, June 1, 2020
On June 1, 2020, a 2011 Cub Crafters CCK-1865, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N303KP, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Valley Center, California. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent loss of control.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 1, 2020
- Place
- Valley Center, California · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cub Crafters CCK-1865, built 2011, amateur-built
- Registration
- N303KP · no longer on the register · serial CCK-1865-0013
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was circling over a residence during a local flight. Witness video and flight tracking information indicated that, after completing a 360° turn, the airplane’s bank angle exceeded 40°. During the final turn, about 200 ft above ground level (agl), the airplane’s airspeed dropped below the published stall speed and the airplane stalled, entering a nose-low descent toward the ground. A sound spectrum analysis revealed that the engine was producing power at the time of the accident, and recorded engine data revealed no evidence of anomalies. Control continuity was confirmed. The circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack while maneuvering at low altitude, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall, loss of control, and impact with 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
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during maneuvering (low-alt flying)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,545 hours in all; 269 in this make and model
- Last flight review: August 4, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 437.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 1, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental Titan 340CC (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 8CL1 Escondido CA
- Destination: 8CL1 Escondido CA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.70 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
13 documents, released by the NTSB on May 4, 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Attachment 1 to Electronic Devices - Specialist's Factual Report | data file | Download |
| 3 | Aircraft Performance Study | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Video Study | PDF, 13 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Record of Conversations | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 6 | GPS Track (Plot) | map file | Download |
| 7 | radar Data (All) | PDF, 18 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Dynon Data | PDF, 33 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Dynon Data Plots and Graphs | PDF, 6 pages | View Download |
| 10 | Investigation Support Material Supplement | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 11 | Autopsy Summary | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 12 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 13 | Toxicological Report | 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.