# Incident 20190320024409I: Pendleton, OR, March 20, 2019

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 20, 2019, 15:49 local time
- Place: Pendleton, OR
- Airport: Pdt Uas Range
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 45.6756° N, 118.8195° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Pendleton, OR, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.6756&lon=-118.8195&mi=10
- Aircraft: NONE (not matched to a registry record)
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 3,000 total, 31 in this make and model, 4 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190320024409I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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