20080728841739A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Raythn COBRA · Colorado Sprin, CO · July 28, 2008

Date: July 28, 2008 · 12:00 local
Place: Colorado Sprin, CO
Airport: Usaf Academy Afld
Phase of flight: Level Off Touchdown
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N601RN
NTSB investigation: NTSBDEN08IA130
Reported as: Raythn Cobra
Fatal injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 0 total0 in this make and model0 in the last 90 days

N601RNRegistration cancelled Aug 27, 2009 · Raytheon COBRAS/N 001 · Built 2006 Airframe modelRaytheon COBRA Engine modelDesert ACF DA-1504 cycle

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

(-23) On July 28, 2008, experimental Raytheon Cobra unmanned aircraft system (UAS), N601RN sustained substantial damage when it collided with a light pole while maneuvering for a pre-programmed landing. The aircraft was registered to and operated by the Raytheon company of tusan, Arizona. There were no injuries to person on the ground. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the 14 CFR part 91 "demonstration flight", and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft had departed from a road paralleling to one of the athletic fields on the grounds of the U.S. Air force Academy at approximately 1206, and was returning to the location when the accident occurred.

As the FAA filed it

(-23) ON JULY 28, 2008, EXPERIMENTAL RAYTHEON COBRA UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM (UAS), N601RN SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE WHEN IT COLLIDED WITH A LIGHT POLE WHILE MANEUVERING FOR A PRE-PROGRAMMED LANDING. THE AIRCRAFT WAS REGISTERED TO AND OPERATED BY THE RAYTHEON COMPANY OF TUSAN, ARIZONA. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO PERSON ON THE GROUND. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED FOR THE 14 CFR PART 91 "DEMONSTRATION FLIGHT", AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED. THE AIRCRAFT HAD DEPARTED FROM A ROAD PARALLELING TO ONE OF THE ATHLETIC FIELDS ON THE GROUNDS OF THE U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY AT APPROXIMATELY 1206, AND WAS RETURNING TO THE LOCATION WHEN THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB DEN08IA130Incident · No injuriesIncident investigationFinal reportColorado Springs, COThe flight team's failure to program the UAS with flight-tested parameters that could tolerate the high density altitude and tailwind conditions encounted during the flight, which resulted in two undershoot approaches, and the existence of an undiscovered…Jul 28, 2008 · Substantial damage