- Date
- July 7, 2025, 09:30 local (15:30 UTC)
- Place
- La Garita, CO
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N952SACub Crafters CCK-1865
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-low-alt flying: Low altitude operation/event
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 23, 2025
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20250707008729A
- Case key
- 200479
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain while maneuvering at low altitude in mountainous terrain. Contributing was the pilot’s inadequate preflight planning and aeronautical decision making.
Findings · 4
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he was overflying a mountain plateau about 100 ft. As he overflew the plateau with 2 or 3 notches of flaps and about 60 kts, he noticed that the terrain was rising on both sides and ahead of the flight path. The pilot increased the throttle to full power and initiated a climb; the angle of attack indicator began to alert the pilot to an impending stall. The pilot estimated that the airplane would not be able to clear trees in front of the flight path and began a slow turn to the right. The airplane then struck a tree, impacted the terrain, and came to rest upright on its nose. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot stated that the accident could have been prevented if he had assessed the density altitude and airplane performance for the flight and flown at a higher airspeed and altitude. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operations.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N952SA
- Reported as
- Cub Crafters CCK-1865
- Category
- Airplane, amateur-built
- Serial number
- CCK-1865-1088
- Built
- 2024
- Airframe hours
- 110
- Engine
- Lycoming CC363I-FP, 186 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Condition · November 5, 2024
- Departed
- RCV · Del Norte, CO
- Destination
- PNA · Pinedale, WY
- Equipment
- Angle of attack indicator, Auto-pilot, Data recorder, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic primary flight display, Satellite tracking device, Stall warning system, ADS-B
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 65
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 12, 2024
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 4-point
- Flight hours
- 1,218 total · 115 in this make and model · 1,167 as pilot in command · 20.3 in the last 90 days · 18 in the last 30 days · 8 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 64 °F, dew point 43 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.44 inHg
- Observed at
- K04V, 19 nm away
- METAR
- K04V 071507Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 18/06 A3044 RMK AO2 PWINO
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 23, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.5 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.