Controlled Flight Into Terrain · NTSB WPR19FA182
Cub Crafters CCK-1865 — Moab, UT
| Date | June 30, 2019 |
| Location | Moab, UT |
| Aircraft | Cub Crafters CCK-1865 (amateur-built) |
| Purpose of flight | Personal |
| Conditions | Day · Visual Meteorological Cond |
| Phase / occurrence | Maneuvering Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT) |
| Pilot age | 42 |
| Pilot total time | Unknown |
| Time in type | Unknown |
| Fatalities | 2 |
Probable cause
NTSB findings
- Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Use of available resources-Pilot
- Environmental issues-Physical environment-Terrain-Mountainous/hilly terrain-Ability to respond/compensate
What happened
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.