What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Under VFR conditions, a large unmanned aircraft system (337LBS). Crashed while conducting a flight demonstration onboard Fort Benning, GA in restricted airspace during an army expeditionary warfighter experiment. The aircraft was conducting a resupply mission to a field approximately 1 1/4 miles from the launch site. Aircraft was autonomous with no input from PIC. During the flight, the electronic speed controller (esc) on vtm 1 (vectored thrust module) faulted resulting in a loss of thrust. Vertical nacelles house batteries, electric motors, electronic speed controller, (esc), control surfaces and servos, and serve as landing feet. Aircraft reduced thrust on opposite motor to maintain stable attitude control. Overall resulting in thrust caused a descent leading to impact with trees. Aircraft descended with tree impact within 5 seconds after initial esc fault occurred and prior to a crew action being taken. Remains of the aircraft were scattered over approximately 150 ft circular area.
If new information about the accident is discovered, an amendment will be completed.
As the FAA filed it
UNDER VFR CONDITIONS, A LARGE UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM (337LBS). CRASHED WHILE CONDUCTING A FLIGHT DEMONSTRATION ONBOARD FORT BENNING, GA IN RESTRICTED AIRSPACE DURING AN ARMY EXPEDITIONARY WARFIGHTER EXPERIMENT. THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONDUCTING A RESUPPLY MISSION TO A FIELD APPROXIMATELY 1 1/4 MILES FROM THE LAUNCH SITE. AIRCRAFT WAS AUTONOMOUS WITH NO INPUT FROM PIC. DURING THE FLIGHT, THE ELECTRONIC SPEED CONTROLLER (ESC) ON VTM 1 (VECTORED THRUST MODULE) FAULTED RESULTING IN A LOSS OF THRUST. VERTICAL NACELLES HOUSE BATTERIES, ELECTRIC MOTORS, ELECTRONIC SPEED CONTROLLER, (ESC), CONTROL SURFACES AND SERVOS, AND SERVE AS LANDING FEET. AIRCRAFT REDUCED THRUST ON OPPOSITE MOTOR TO MAINTAIN STABLE ATTITUDE CONTROL. OVERALL RESULTING IN THRUST CAUSED A DESCENT LEADING TO IMPACT WITH TREES. AIRCRAFT DESCENDED WITH TREE IMPACT WITHIN 5 SECONDS AFTER INITIAL ESC FAULT OCCURRED AND PRIOR TO A CREW ACTION BEING TAKEN. REMAINS OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE SCATTERED OVER APPROXIMATELY 150 FT CIRCULAR AREA.
IF NEW INFORMATION ABOUT THE ACCIDENT IS DISCOVERED, AN AMENDMENT WILL BE COMPLETED.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.