What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
This UAS was on a test flight in the designated test flight area approx 5-10 feet AGL. As the aircraft was hovering and the pilots were testing directional control of the UAS it suddenly lost power and descended rapidly causing the UAS to impact the ground at a high rate of descent. This impact caused the skids to spread which subsequenty caused the wings to flex downward....the rotors on the bottom of the wings then drove the wings upward causing them to clap together. The wings and most of the rotors were completely destroyed. Forward propulsion propeller was not running at the time and only sustained minimal damage. Operator stated cause of accident was an unknown failure of two of the engines that power two of the 6 rotors. Other rotors did not have enough propulsion to keep the UAS aloft. Operators will begin rebuild and testing per FAA and NTSB guidance.
As the FAA filed it
THIS UAS WAS ON A TEST FLIGHT IN THE DESIGNATED TEST FLIGHT AREA APPROX 5-10 FEET AGL. AS THE AIRCRAFT WAS HOVERING AND THE PILOTS WERE TESTING DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE UAS IT SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND DESCENDED RAPIDLY CAUSING THE UAS TO IMPACT THE GROUND AT A HIGH RATE OF DESCENT. THIS IMPACT CAUSED THE SKIDS TO SPREAD WHICH SUBSEQUENTY CAUSED THE WINGS TO FLEX DOWNWARD....THE ROTORS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE WINGS THEN DROVE THE WINGS UPWARD CAUSING THEM TO CLAP TOGETHER. THE WINGS AND MOST OF THE ROTORS WERE COMPLETELY DESTROYED. FORWARD PROPULSION PROPELLER WAS NOT RUNNING AT THE TIME AND ONLY SUSTAINED MINIMAL DAMAGE. OPERATOR STATED CAUSE OF ACCIDENT WAS AN UNKNOWN FAILURE OF TWO OF THE ENGINES THAT POWER TWO OF THE 6 ROTORS. OTHER ROTORS DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH PROPULSION TO KEEP THE UAS ALOFT. OPERATORS WILL BEGIN REBUILD AND TESTING PER FAA AND NTSB GUIDANCE.