20190320024409I

Incident · Substantial damage

FAA incident report · Aircraft · Pendleton, OR · March 20, 2019

Date: March 20, 2019 · 15:49 local
Place: Pendleton, OR
Airport: Pdt Uas Range
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: NONE
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
Pilot’s flight hours: 3,000 total31 in this make and model4 in the last 90 days

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.

On March 20, 2019, the unmanned aircraft (ua) departed PDT on taxiway f and was conducting a standard field test of new equipment at the Pendleton UAS test Range. During the climb the ua began acting erratically. The operators reported lost link with the ua to ATC. The ua continued erratic flight out towards the NE (lost communication/link area) where it crashed into the ground. A small fire resulted in the crash.

The unmanned aircraft was not registered, therefore, it did not have proper registration markings.

The aircraft is operated under a certificate of authorization (coa) under public use (the aircraft does not have an airworthiness certificate). The aircraft is leased to the univerity of Alaska fairbanks.

As the FAA filed it

ON MARCH 20, 2019, THE UNMANNED AIRCRAFT (UA) DEPARTED PDT ON TAXIWAY F AND WAS CONDUCTING A STANDARD FIELD TEST OF NEW EQUIPMENT AT THE PENDLETON UAS TEST RANGE. DURING THE CLIMB THE UA BEGAN ACTING ERRATICALLY. THE OPERATORS REPORTED LOST LINK WITH THE UA TO ATC. THE UA CONTINUED ERRATIC FLIGHT OUT TOWARDS THE NE (LOST COMMUNICATION/LINK AREA) WHERE IT CRASHED INTO THE GROUND. A SMALL FIRE RESULTED IN THE CRASH.

THE UNMANNED AIRCRAFT WAS NOT REGISTERED, THEREFORE, IT DID NOT HAVE PROPER REGISTRATION MARKINGS.

THE AIRCRAFT IS OPERATED UNDER A CERTIFICATE OF AUTHORIZATION (COA) UNDER PUBLIC USE (THE AIRCRAFT DOES NOT HAVE AN AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE). THE AIRCRAFT IS LEASED TO THE UNIVERITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS.