Just Aircraft Highlander accident near Great Falls, Montana, April 8, 2026
On April 8, 2026 at about 5:06 pm local time, a 2023 Just Aircraft Highlander, an amateur-built aircraft,, registered N563JA, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Great Falls, Montana (Pvt 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 NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 8, 2026 · about 5:06 pm local time
- Place
- Great Falls, Montana · Pvt · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Just Aircraft Highlander, built 2023, amateur-built
- Registration
- N563JA · registry record · serial JA563-8-19
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On April 8, 2026, about 1106 mountain daylight time, an experimental amateur built Just Aircraft Highlander, N563JA, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Great Falls, Montana. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that after he departed Great Falls International Airport (GTF), Great Falls, Montana, he intended to land on a private grass surface airstrip about 5.5 nautical miles to the southwest. While on the final approach to the grass airstrip, he applied right rudder pedal to enter a left wing low slip to perform a steep approach along with reducing the throttle to idle to minimize the airspeed. The pilot stated that when he decreased the throttle to idle, the engine lost total power. He aligned the nose of the airplane with the runway heading at the threshold, but the airplane’s airspeed was too fast. The airplane touched down in the last 1/3rd of the airstrip with the control stick full aft and he applied the brakes. Ground scars revealed that the nose of the airplane contacted the turf surface and skidded about six ft before the airplane nosed over near the departure end of the airstrip, which extended to the edge of the Missouri river. A review of the airplane’s maintenance logs indicated that a condition inspection was completed on December 8, 2025, and a new SkyTrax propeller speed reduction unit and friction clutch upgrade was installed on January 18, 2026. The wreckage has been recovered to a secure facility for further examination.
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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
- Loss of engine power (total) during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 77.9 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, December 8, 2025
- Maximum gross weight: 1,550 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: GTF Great Falls MT at 5:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 07, 950 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 23°F (-5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 11:05 am from KGTF, 6 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KGTF 081653Z 28006KT 10SM OVC040 01/M05 A3011 RMK AO2 SLP235 T00111050
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check 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.