# Accident 20210301003059A: Bell Helicopter Textron Inc APT70, Fort Benning, GA, March 1, 2021

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 1, 2021, 12:00 local time
- Place: Fort Benning, GA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 32.3534° N, 84.9529° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=32.3534&lon=-84.9529&mi=10
- Aircraft: N314AQ, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N314AQ-2021-07-10) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Bell Helicopter Textron APT70 (registry code 061014W, https://openairdocs.org/model/bell-helicopter-textron-apt70) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Hacker Q150 series (registry code 36441, https://openairdocs.org/engine/hacker-q150-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON INC APT70
- Reported engine: HACKER Q150 SERIES
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB DCA21LA094](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA21LA094) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210301003059A

## Narrative

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

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.

## 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 DCA21LA094](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA21LA094), Mar 1, 2021: Bell APT70 (N314AQ), Fort Benning, GA, substantial damage. Probable cause: failure of an electronic speed controller that resulted in a descent and impact with trees.

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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