Amateur-built FLOURNOY MR S1S accident near Colorado Springs, Colorado, May 22, 2011
On May 22, 2011 at about 10:30 pm local time, a amateur-built FLOURNOY MR S1S, registered N457CF, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Colorado Springs, Colorado (Meadow Lake airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s loss of directional control during the landing rollout due to failure of the tailwheel assembly for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 2011 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Colorado Springs, Colorado · Meadow Lake · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built FLOURNOY MR S1S
- Registration
- N457CF · registry record · serial 08
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he made a normal touchdown, but during the rollout the airplane began to yaw to the left. He attempted to correct his loss of directional control by applying full right rudder and right brake. Despite his efforts to straighten the airplane's path, the airplane began to bounce/skip to the side and subsequently ground looped. During the impact sequence, the lower right wing tip, aileron and aft section of the fuselage sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the tailwheel spring attach bolt had pulled through the fuselage structure where it was mounted. The bolt was intact and there was no obvious damage to the threads. It could not be determined why the bolt separated 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
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail gear attach section › Failure
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,600 hours in all; 370 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 60 in the last 30 days; 3,500 as pilot in command; 2,400 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 1, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 808 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, October 1, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 1,150 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Matt Tanner Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: KFLY Colorado Springs CO
- Destination: KFLY Colorado Springs CO
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 6,000 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 10:30 pm from KFLY
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
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.