Amateur-built ULTRASTAR accident near Halifax, Pennsylvania, July 23, 2014
On July 23, 2014, a 1991 amateur-built ULTRASTAR, registered N4425W, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Halifax, Pennsylvania. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A total loss of engine power for reasons that could not be determined because the engine was not recovered. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle-of-attack during the forced landing attempt, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 2014
- Place
- Halifax, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built ULTRASTAR, built 1991
- Registration
- N4425W · no longer on the register · serial 12748
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot had recently finished performing maintenance on the experimental light sport airplane after not having flown it for 3 years. After a series of successful engine run-ups and high-speed taxi tests, the pilot chose to depart on a brief local flight just after sunset. When the airplane reached an altitude of about 200 ft above the ground, the two-stroke engine slowly began to lose power. The pilot subsequently attempted to perform a forced landing to a cornfield, but the airplane slowed, exceeded its critical angle-of-attack, and subsequently entered an aerodynamic stall and impacted the ground, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane and serious injuries to the pilot. The wreckage was not recovered from the accident site and could not be examined.
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
- Loss of engine power (partial) during initial climb defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during emergency descent
- Loss of control in flight during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- factor Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 999,999 hours in all; 999,999 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 650 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cuyuna 430 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE Halifax PA
- Destination: NONE Halifax PA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
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.
Other NTSB records under N4425W the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.