Cub Crafters CC11-160 accident near Kiowa, Colorado, March 23, 2011
On March 23, 2011 at about 7:00 pm local time, a Cub Crafters CC11-160, registered N144LP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Kiowa, Colorado (Bijou Bottom Strip Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control following a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 23, 2011 · about 7:00 pm local time
- Place
- Kiowa, Colorado · Bijou Bottom Strip Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cub Crafters CC11-160
- Registration
- N144LP · registry record · serial CC11-0144
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he was performing a full stop landing when he encountered a quartering tailwind just prior to touchdown, resulting in a hard landing. The airplane began to ground loop and approached the edge of the runway. He applied brakes to prevent the airplane from exiting the runway into rough terrain, resulting in the airplane nosing over and becoming inverted on the runway and substantially damaging the rudder. The pilot stated there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane.
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
- Other weather encounter during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Sudden wind shift › Contributed to outcome
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent rate › Attain/maintain not possible
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,556 hours in all; 89 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 57 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 20, 2010; 57 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cub Crafters CC340 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FLY Falcon CO
- Destination: 9CO8 Kiowa CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number CEN11CA268.