Amateur-built JUST AIRCRAFT (HIGHL accident near Monroe, Washington, October 12, 2018
On October 12, 2018 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 2010 amateur-built JUST AIRCRAFT (HIGHL, registered N488VG, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Monroe, Washington. 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 improper engine modification and operation, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation, and the pilot's failure to maintain an adequate approach path, which resulted in the airplane landing short of the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 12, 2018 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Monroe, Washington · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built JUST AIRCRAFT (HIGHL No Series, built 2010
- Registration
- N488VG · no longer on the register · serial JA214-08-10
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the tailwheel-equipped, experimental, amateur-built airplane, who was also an airframe and powerplant mechanic, reported that, during approach to a sandbar, he side-slipped the airplane and that the engine then lost power because he was "too aggressive with the throttle and pulled it enough to bend the [carburetor] idle stop screw bracket." The engine was normally quiet, the airplane was sound proofed, and the pilot also used a noise-cancelling headset, which prevented him from being aware of the power loss until he attempted to add power to no avail. He did not have enough time to restart the engine, so the airplane settled onto the water about 15 to 20 ft short of the sandbar. Subsequently, the airplane hydroplaned and then came to rest on the sandbar inverted. The pilot reported that the reason he was aggressive with the throttle was because of a lean mixture that tended to overheat the engine during takeoff or cruise on hot days. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing lift strut, left wing, and rudder. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The Federal Aviation Administration inspector reported that the pilot had modified the number and position of the last hole in the fuel spray bar. By doing so, the pilot was able to get the engine to "barely run" to perform short-field landings. During the accident landing, it "must have cut off the flow of fuel enough to make the engine quit." That pilot reported that he had previously attempted to mechanically enrich the mixture by drilling holes in the fuel spray bar but had drilled a hole "at the location where the engine wanted to idle," meaning that, if the hole was open, the engine would idle high, and if the hole was closed, the engine would "die." He added that it was not a problem unless he was trying to land short.
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 starvation during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach (VFR pattern final)
- Roll over during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Modification/alteration › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Not specified
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Runway/land/takeoff/taxi surface › Wet surface › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,000 hours in all; 974 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 7,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 20, 2018
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 975 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 3, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 1,320 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Jabiru 3300 (piston); 975 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: S50 Auburn WA at 4:00 pm
- Destination: Monroe WA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,900 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KPAE, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on March 21, 2019. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - FAA Inspector | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Accident Photos | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N488VG 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.