# Incident 20240906012479I: Hood Tech Corp Mechanical Inc HTMC-40, Pendleton, OR, September 6, 2024

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 6, 2024, 13:42 local time
- Place: Pendleton, OR
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Location: 45.6756° N, 118.8195° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Pendleton, OR, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=45.6756&lon=-118.8195&mi=10
- Aircraft: N59MC, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N59MC) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Hood Tech Corp Mechanical HTMC-40 (registry code 06101WV, https://openairdocs.org/model/hood-tech-corp-mechanical-htmc-40) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: HOOD TECH CORP MECHANICAL INC HTMC-40
- People aboard: 0
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 250 total, 20 in this make and model, 3 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240906012479I

## Narrative

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

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.

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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