Amateur-built SUBSONEX accident near Latrobe, Pennsylvania, May 14, 2019
On May 14, 2019 at about 11:48 pm local time, a 2019 amateur-built SUBSONEX, registered N224P, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Latrobe, Pennsylvania (Arnold Palmer Rgnl 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 failure to maintain pitch control while attempting to secure the canopy, which opened shortly after takeoff and resulted in the airplane impacting the ground and the main landing gear collapsing. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to complete the predeparture checklist, which led to his failure to properly secure the canopy before takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 14, 2019 · about 11:48 pm local time
- Place
- Latrobe, Pennsylvania · Arnold Palmer Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built SUBSONEX JSX-2, built 2019
- Registration
- N224P · registry record · serial JSX0022
- 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, before takeoff, he was adjusting the radios and forgot to latch the canopy. After takeoff, the canopy "shimmied open about 2 ft aft." The pilot reported that he immediately reached for the canopy with his left hand while his right hand was on the control stick. The airplane was a few feet above the runway surface when he applied slight forward pressure on the control stick, but the airplane's nose pitched down, and the nose landing gear impacted the ground. The airplane veered right, the main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane then slid to a stop on the runway. The pilot reported that he did not complete the predeparture checklist to secure the canopy because he was adjusting the recently installed radio and headset. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine 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
- Miscellaneous/other during prior to flight
- Attempted remediation/recovery during takeoff
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff
- Landing gear collapse during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Pitch control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Doors › Passenger/crew doors › Incorrect use/operation
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of checklist › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Attention › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: sngl
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: condition inspection
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pbs TJ100 (turbojet); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LBE Latrobe PA
- Destination: LBE Latrobe PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 8,222 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 3:35 am from KLBE, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on June 26, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.