20120417007989A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Aircraft · Victorville, CA · April 17, 2012

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: April 17, 2012 · 13:46 local
Place: Victorville, CA
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: NONE
People aboard: 0
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0

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.

The Boeing YMQ-18A UAS #A019 departed kvcv at 1146L for the UAS local flying area 3 mi north of the airport for flight tests at 4000 to 5000 ft MSL. The aircraft was on the upper southbound leg of a figure eight pattern when it lost main rotor thrust and entered a computer directed autorotation with a descent rate of 2000 feet per minute (fpm). The UAS operators directed the UAS to a landing spot approximately 2.3 miles northeast of the airport. The system's automation commanded the UAS to begin the autorotational flare at 200 ft AGL and make a landing which was hard enough to cause substantial damage to the UAS.

As the FAA filed it

THE BOEING YMQ-18A UAS #A019 DEPARTED KVCV AT 1146L FOR THE UAS LOCAL FLYING AREA 3 MI NORTH OF THE AIRPORT FOR FLIGHT TESTS AT 4000 TO 5000 FT MSL. THE AIRCRAFT WAS ON THE UPPER SOUTHBOUND LEG OF A FIGURE EIGHT PATTERN WHEN IT LOST MAIN ROTOR THRUST AND ENTERED A COMPUTER DIRECTED AUTOROTATION WITH A DESCENT RATE OF 2000 FEET PER MINUTE (FPM). THE UAS OPERATORS DIRECTED THE UAS TO A LANDING SPOT APPROXIMATELY 2.3 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT. THE SYSTEM'S AUTOMATION COMMANDED THE UAS TO BEGIN THE AUTOROTATIONAL FLARE AT 200 FT AGL AND MAKE A LANDING WHICH WAS HARD ENOUGH TO CAUSE SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE TO THE UAS.