Ams-Flight D.O.O. DG-500 ELAN ORION accident near Boulder, Colorado, March 14, 2011
On March 14, 2011 at about 7:20 pm local time, a Ams-Flight D.O.O. DG-500 ELAN ORION (glider), registered N505KK, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Boulder, Colorado (Boulder Municipal Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The in flight loss of lift while landing, resulting in a collision with a fence.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 14, 2011 · about 7:20 pm local time
- Place
- Boulder, Colorado · Boulder Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Ams-Flight D.O.O. DG-500 ELAN ORION
- Registration
- N505KK · registry record · serial 5E201X46
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the certified flight instructor (CFI), the purpose of the flight was to practice slip maneuvers to a landing with no spoilers. While on short final of the traffic pattern, the student pilot reduced the slip to maintain the glide path, at which time, the glider encountered a sink and descended. While in the flare over a fence, the left wing impacted a fence pole, resulting in substantial damage to the glider. The CFI stated that there was nothing mechanically wrong with the glider prior to the accident.
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
- Windshear or thunderstorm during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › (general) › (general) › Effect on operation
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: glider; instructor: helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 11,216 hours in all; 630 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 630 as pilot in command; 5,591 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 29, 2011
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,341 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 133 in the last 90 days; 51 in the last 30 days; 2,260 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 9, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,720 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 12, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 1,463 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
The flight
- Departed from: KBDU Boulder CO at 7:13 pm
- Destination: KBDU Boulder CO
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 40 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; a few clouds at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.09 inHg
- Observation at 6:49 pm from KBJC, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
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.
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.