Amateur-built JUST AIRCRAFT HIGHLA accident near Edenton, North Carolina, August 13, 2023
On August 13, 2023 at about 4:10 pm local time, a 2012 amateur-built JUST AIRCRAFT HIGHLA, registered N169SM, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Edenton, North Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s inadequate fuel planning, which led to a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 13, 2023 · about 4:10 pm local time
- Place
- Edenton, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built JUST AIRCRAFT HIGHLA, built 2012
- Registration
- N169SM · registry record · serial JAESC0049
- 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 departed with 4 gallons of fuel onboard and the purpose of the accident flight was to fly to an airport that sold fuel. During approach to the destination airport, the pilot thought that the control tower had not opened yet, but it had. He was having difficulty hearing the controller over the radio and was not prepared to enter controlled airspace, so he diverted to another airport. While en route to the diversion airport, the engine lost all power and the pilot ditched the airplane in a sound. Postaccident examination of the wreckage following initial recovery from the sound and again at a recovery facility did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane had flown for about 40 minutes with 4 gallons of fuel. Based on engine fuel consumption data, the engine likely exhausted its fuel supply during the diversion to an alternate airport.
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
- Fuel exhaustion during enroute defining event
- Ditching during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 535 hours in all; 378 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 464 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 2, 2023
- Medical certificate: BasicMed
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 600 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, July 19, 2023; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 912 ULS (piston); 600 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FFA Kitty Hawk NC at 3:30 pm
- Destination: MQI Manteo NC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 93°F (34°C), dew point 82°F (28°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 12:30 pm from EDE, 5 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KEDE 131630Z AUTO 24008KT 10SM CLR 34/28 A2997
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on July 10, 2024. 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/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memoranda for the Record | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Excerpt from Engine Operators Manual (Fuel Consumption) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array | PDF, 3 pages | 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.