What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On February 21, 2025, a single MK30 drone, was conducting a flight under sac-ec and experimental authority at Pendleton flight test facility and was involved in an accident during the land and delivery phase. The objective of the test was to evaluate the drone's ability to perform a safe contingent land (scl) by introducing a commercial of-the-shelf (cots) drone above the MK30'S flight path after delivery intentionally triggering the scl function.
The MK30 launched from north golf taxiway conducting package delivery. After undefined to the designated delivery location, the drone completed the package delivery. While hovering at the delivery location a cots drone was flown into position above the MK30 to initiate the contingency maneuver. The MK30 briefly climbed, detected the cots drone and nominally enacted the scl then switching the straight land mode without obstacle avoidance resulting in a collision with a ground obstacle before impacting the ground. Following this sequence, the MK30 performed a vertical ascent to approximately 15 meters above ground level (AGL). The drone then stopped ascending, began and oscillating descent, and ultimately came to rest on the ground in an inverted position.
As the FAA filed it
ON FEBRUARY 21, 2025, A SINGLE MK30 DRONE, WAS CONDUCTING A FLIGHT UNDER SAC-EC AND EXPERIMENTAL AUTHORITY AT PENDLETON FLIGHT TEST FACILITY AND WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT DURING THE LAND AND DELIVERY PHASE. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE TEST WAS TO EVALUATE THE DRONE'S ABILITY TO PERFORM A SAFE CONTINGENT LAND (SCL) BY INTRODUCING A COMMERCIAL OF-THE-SHELF (COTS) DRONE ABOVE THE MK30'S FLIGHT PATH AFTER DELIVERY INTENTIONALLY TRIGGERING THE SCL FUNCTION.
THE MK30 LAUNCHED FROM NORTH GOLF TAXIWAY CONDUCTING PACKAGE DELIVERY. AFTER UNDEFINED TO THE DESIGNATED DELIVERY LOCATION, THE DRONE COMPLETED THE PACKAGE DELIVERY. WHILE HOVERING AT THE DELIVERY LOCATION A COTS DRONE WAS FLOWN INTO POSITION ABOVE THE MK30 TO INITIATE THE CONTINGENCY MANEUVER. THE MK30 BRIEFLY CLIMBED, DETECTED THE COTS DRONE AND NOMINALLY ENACTED THE SCL THEN SWITCHING THE STRAIGHT LAND MODE WITHOUT OBSTACLE AVOIDANCE RESULTING IN A COLLISION WITH A GROUND OBSTACLE BEFORE IMPACTING THE GROUND. FOLLOWING THIS SEQUENCE, THE MK30 PERFORMED A VERTICAL ASCENT TO APPROXIMATELY 15 METERS ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL). THE DRONE THEN STOPPED ASCENDING, BEGAN AND OSCILLATING DESCENT, AND ULTIMATELY CAME TO REST ON THE GROUND IN AN INVERTED POSITION.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.