# Accident 20190604024389A: Aurora Flight Sciences Corp PEGASUS, Manassas, VA, June 4, 2019

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: June 4, 2019, 07:19 local time
- Place: Manassas, VA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Location: 38.7219° N, 77.5178° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=38.7219&lon=-77.5178&mi=10
- Aircraft: N83AU, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N83AU-2021-06-29) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Aurora Flight Sciences PEGASUS (registry code 061012U, https://openairdocs.org/model/aurora-flight-sciences-pegasus) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Amateur-built UNKNOWN ENG (registry code 99999, https://openairdocs.org/engine/amateur-built-unknown-eng) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: AURORA FLIGHT SCIENCES CORP PEGASUS
- Reported engine: AMA/EXPR UNKNOWN ENG
- People aboard: 0
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB DCA19LA154](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA19LA154) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190604024389A

## Narrative

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

REGISTRATION: N83AU

MAKE: AURORA FLIGHT SCIENCES CORP

MODEL: PEGASUS

SERIAL NUMBER: AU-083

REMOTE PILOT CERTIFICATE NUMBER: ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^

FREQUENCY USED: 2.4 GHZ MULTI-MODE/MULTI-NODE

TYPE OF OPERATION: PART 91

N83AU WAS UNDERGOING HOVER AND AIR TAXI TESTS ON RUNWAY 34L AT KHEF.   AT APPROXIMATELY 30 FEET, THE AIRCRAFT PERFORMED HOVER, LATERAL MOVEMENT, AND FORWARD AIR TAXI MANEUVERS WITHOUT ISSUES.  WHILE AT A STABLE HOVER, THE SYSTEM EXPERIENCED A DATA LINK ISSUE AND THE PILOT COMMANDED AUTOLAND.  THE AIRCRAFT STARTED A SLOW DECENT AND THEN LOST ALL POWER AT ABOUT 25 FEET, RESULTING IN A HARD LANDING. TOTAL FLIGHT LASTED ABOUT 2 MINUTES.  THE ENTIRE EVENT WAS CONTAINED WITHIN RUNWAY 34L.  NO PROPERTY DAMAGE NOTED.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB DCA19LA154](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA19LA154), Jun 4, 2019: Aurora PAV (N83AU), Manassas, VA, substantial damage. Probable cause: a loss of hover lift thrust provided by the eight lift motors due to a false on-ground rotor speed reduction command, resulting from excessive vibration.

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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