Amateur-built JUST AIRCRAFT HIGHLA accident near Roxbury, Pennsylvania, May 11, 2014
On May 11, 2014 at about 5:45 pm local time, a 2011 amateur-built JUST AIRCRAFT HIGHLA, registered N209SP, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Roxbury, Pennsylvania. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during low altitude maneuvering.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 11, 2014 · about 5:45 pm local time
- Place
- Roxbury, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built JUST AIRCRAFT HIGHLA NO SERIES, built 2011
- Registration
- N209SP · no longer on the register · serial JA236-04-11
- 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 flying about 500 feet above the ground, dropping candy to children as part of a church outing. He encountered a "rotor" wind off the nearby mountain and when he initiated a turn, the wing stalled. He lost control of the airplane and crashed near a church camp. The airplane came to rest, inverted. An inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration examined the airplane and confirmed substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and empennage. The pilot reported no pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 maneuvering (low-alt flying)
- Loss of control in flight during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine sea
- Flight time: 4,250 hours in all; 168 in this make and model
- Last flight review: December 18, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 168 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, September 25, 2013; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 734 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 UL (piston); 168 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: N68 Chambersburg PA at 4:02 pm
- Destination: N68 Chambersburg PA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from HGR, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.