What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
FLARES2 privacy data omitted executed a normal preflight checks, which include checking the voltage of every battery cell and performing a spin check where the multicopter’s rotors are powered at low RPM to confirm that they are spinning and the esc's are reporting healthy. All preflight checks passed. When the scaneagle 3 PIC communicated that they were ready to liftoff, I commanded the liftoff of flares 2. Within a handful of seconds after liftoff I observed that flares 2 was failing to meet the 5 m/s climb rate that it should. I aborted the launch attempt by switching the flight mode from auto launch to loiter, with the intent of landing immediately. At that point flares 2 had sufficient control authority to maintain position control, but not altitude. Flares 2 descended back to the ground with the scaneagle 3 still attached. Immediately on ground impact I commanded flares 2 rotors to disarm. The scaneagle 3 became detached from flares 2 on ground impact, and the two aircraft came to rest a few feet apart.
Post incident review indicated that the bottom battery experienced a partical failure resulting in insificant power.
Minor damage to FLARES2 and SCANEAGLE3. No property damage and no injuries.
As the FAA filed it
FLARES2 ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ EXECUTED A NORMAL PREFLIGHT CHECKS, WHICH INCLUDE CHECKING THE VOLTAGE OF EVERY BATTERY CELL AND PERFORMING A SPIN CHECK WHERE THE MULTICOPTER’S ROTORS ARE POWERED AT LOW RPM TO CONFIRM THAT THEY ARE SPINNING AND THE ESC'S ARE REPORTING HEALTHY. ALL PREFLIGHT CHECKS PASSED. WHEN THE SCANEAGLE 3 PIC COMMUNICATED THAT THEY WERE READY TO LIFTOFF, I COMMANDED THE LIFTOFF OF FLARES 2. WITHIN A HANDFUL OF SECONDS AFTER LIFTOFF I OBSERVED THAT FLARES 2 WAS FAILING TO MEET THE 5 M/S CLIMB RATE THAT IT SHOULD. I ABORTED THE LAUNCH ATTEMPT BY SWITCHING THE FLIGHT MODE FROM AUTO LAUNCH TO LOITER, WITH THE INTENT OF LANDING IMMEDIATELY. AT THAT POINT FLARES 2 HAD SUFFICIENT CONTROL AUTHORITY TO MAINTAIN POSITION CONTROL, BUT NOT ALTITUDE. FLARES 2 DESCENDED BACK TO THE GROUND WITH THE SCANEAGLE 3 STILL ATTACHED. IMMEDIATELY ON GROUND IMPACT I COMMANDED FLARES 2 ROTORS TO DISARM. THE SCANEAGLE 3 BECAME DETACHED FROM FLARES 2 ON GROUND IMPACT, AND THE TWO AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST A FEW FEET APART.
POST INCIDENT REVIEW INDICATED THAT THE BOTTOM BATTERY EXPERIENCED A PARTICAL FAILURE RESULTING IN INSIFICANT POWER.
MINOR DAMAGE TO FLARES2 AND SCANEAGLE3. NO PROPERTY DAMAGE AND NO INJURIES.