What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
A large unmanned aircraft system (luas), called the ?Resolute Eagle? Impacted the ground north of runway 25 at Eastern Oregon regional airport (PDT) near Pendleton, Oregon, destroying the UAS and causing a 2-acre grass fire which was extinguish by the local fire department. No other damage to property or persons on ground was reported.
The UAS incident occurred within the pan-pacific UAS test range complex (pputrc) called the Pendleton UAS range (pur). The entity with the authority to operate the pur as a test and research range is the university of Alaska - fairbanks (uaf).
Uaf is the ?government entity? That appears to have operational control and operating the UAS as a ?public aircraft? For a ?governmental function? Within the pur?s assigned operations area within the national airspace system (nas) for the purpose of conducting aeronautical research under uaf?s certificate of authorization (coa) # 2015-WSA-41-COA-TS for UAS customer/uas registered owner, Pae irs, LLC.
The aeronautical research being conducted on 3/31/2018, was to evaluate a major vertical take off lift (vtol) configuration addition and analyze the aircrafts ability to transition from vtol to forward flight and then fly the luas as a traditional winged aircraft.
The test was a pre-programmed profile flown by a computer program using the aircrafts full authority autopilot system. Once the initial vtol to forward flight test was successfull the UAS began an autopilot/computer preprogrammed climb for a closed RH traffic pattern at PDT runway 25. After turning onto crosswind leg, the full authority autopilot reduced engine power to prevent engine overspeeds and the UAS climbed normal at 45 knots. When the UAS turned using a standard 30 bank to enter downwind for 25, the UAS was still climbing but PIC noted a airspeed decreased of 3 knots. The auto-pilot-computer should have reduced pitch-up command at this point but continued giving a pitch-up command which further reduced airspeed to 38 knots, followed by a 5 degree bank angle increase to 35 degrees. At this point, the control station's audio stall warning sounded and the visual stall warning illuminated. The UAS was observed entering a stall/spin at a 70 degree nosedown attitude from 200' AGL until impacting the ground. The remote pilot/pic did not have time to take control of the UAS from the auto-pilot.
As the FAA filed it
A LARGE UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM (LUAS), CALLED THE ?RESOLUTE EAGLE? IMPACTED THE GROUND NORTH OF RUNWAY 25 AT EASTERN OREGON REGIONAL AIRPORT (PDT) NEAR PENDLETON, OREGON, DESTROYING THE UAS AND CAUSING A 2-ACRE GRASS FIRE WHICH WAS EXTINGUISH BY THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT. NO OTHER DAMAGE TO PROPERTY OR PERSONS ON GROUND WAS REPORTED.
THE UAS INCIDENT OCCURRED WITHIN THE PAN-PACIFIC UAS TEST RANGE COMPLEX (PPUTRC) CALLED THE PENDLETON UAS RANGE (PUR). THE ENTITY WITH THE AUTHORITY TO OPERATE THE PUR AS A TEST AND RESEARCH RANGE IS THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA - FAIRBANKS (UAF).
UAF IS THE ?GOVERNMENT ENTITY? THAT APPEARS TO HAVE OPERATIONAL CONTROL AND OPERATING THE UAS AS A ?PUBLIC AIRCRAFT? FOR A ?GOVERNMENTAL FUNCTION? WITHIN THE PUR?S ASSIGNED OPERATIONS AREA WITHIN THE NATIONAL AIRSPACE SYSTEM (NAS) FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONDUCTING AERONAUTICAL RESEARCH UNDER UAF?S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORIZATION (COA) # 2015-WSA-41-COA-TS FOR UAS CUSTOMER/UAS REGISTERED OWNER, PAE IRS, LLC.
THE AERONAUTICAL RESEARCH BEING CONDUCTED ON 3/31/2018, WAS TO EVALUATE A MAJOR VERTICAL TAKE OFF LIFT (VTOL) CONFIGURATION ADDITION AND ANALYZE THE AIRCRAFTS ABILITY TO TRANSITION FROM VTOL TO FORWARD FLIGHT AND THEN FLY THE LUAS AS A TRADITIONAL WINGED AIRCRAFT.
THE TEST WAS A PRE-PROGRAMMED PROFILE FLOWN BY A COMPUTER PROGRAM USING THE AIRCRAFTS FULL AUTHORITY AUTOPILOT SYSTEM. ONCE THE INITIAL VTOL TO FORWARD FLIGHT TEST WAS SUCCESSFULL THE UAS BEGAN AN AUTOPILOT/COMPUTER PREPROGRAMMED CLIMB FOR A CLOSED RH TRAFFIC PATTERN AT PDT RUNWAY 25. AFTER TURNING ONTO CROSSWIND LEG, THE FULL AUTHORITY AUTOPILOT REDUCED ENGINE POWER TO PREVENT ENGINE OVERSPEEDS AND THE UAS CLIMBED NORMAL AT 45 KNOTS. WHEN THE UAS TURNED USING A STANDARD 30 BANK TO ENTER DOWNWIND FOR 25, THE UAS WAS STILL CLIMBING BUT PIC NOTED A AIRSPEED DECREASED OF 3 KNOTS. THE AUTO-PILOT-COMPUTER SHOULD HAVE REDUCED PITCH-UP COMMAND AT THIS POINT BUT CONTINUED GIVING A PITCH-UP COMMAND WHICH FURTHER REDUCED AIRSPEED TO 38 KNOTS, FOLLOWED BY A 5 DEGREE BANK ANGLE INCREASE TO 35 DEGREES. AT THIS POINT, THE CONTROL STATION'S AUDIO STALL WARNING SOUNDED AND THE VISUAL STALL WARNING ILLUMINATED. THE UAS WAS OBSERVED ENTERING A STALL/SPIN AT A 70 DEGREE NOSEDOWN ATTITUDE FROM 200' AGL UNTIL IMPACTING THE GROUND. THE REMOTE PILOT/PIC DID NOT HAVE TIME TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE UAS FROM THE AUTO-PILOT.