# Accident 20250408003859A: Martin Uav VBAT, Douglas, AZ, April 8, 2025

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 8, 2025, 14:55 local time
- Place: Douglas, AZ
- Airport: Bisbee Douglas International
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 31.4784° N, 109.6004° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=31.4784&lon=-109.6004&mi=10
- Aircraft: N443VA, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N443VA) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Martin Uav VBAT (registry code 061016F, https://openairdocs.org/model/martin-uav-vbat) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Suter TOA-288 (registry code 59295, https://openairdocs.org/engine/suter-toa-288) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: MARTIN UAV VBAT
- Reported engine: SUTER TOA 288
- People aboard: 0
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB WPR25LA135](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25LA135) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250408003859A

## Narrative

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

ON 8 APRIL 2025, A VBAT PLATFORM WAS SCHEDULED FOR A SERIES OF FLIGHTS AS PART OF ITS OPERATIONAL TESTING AND VALIDATION.  THE INCIDENT IN QUESTION OCCURRED DURING THE PLATFORM'S THIRD FLIGHT OF THE DAY.  AT 1451 HOURS, THE UAV EXECUTED A VERTICAL TAKEOFF FROM THE EAST END OF DUG "A" TAXIWAY.   IN ITS INITIAL CLIMB AND TRANSITION TO HORIZONTAL FLIGHT.  THE AIRCRAFT ASCENDED TO ITS DESIGNATED ALTITUDE OF 1,500 FEET AGL, APPROXIMATELY 1 MILE NORTHEAST OF THE AIRFIELD, WITHOUT ANY ANOMALIES.

TWO MINUTES LATER, AFTER REACHING THE DESIRED ALTITUDE, THE FLIGHT TEAM OBSERVED A CRITICAL ENGINE MALFUNCTION WITH ENGINE RPM READINGS DECREASING TO ZERO, INDICATING A COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE. DESPITE THIS, THE UAV MAINTAINED A STABLE DATA LINK CONNECTION THROUGHOUT THE EVENT, WITH NO ADDITIONAL WARNINGS OR ERROR MESSAGES DISPLAYED ON THE SYSTEM INTERFACE.

IN RESPONSE TO THE ENGINE FAILURE, THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) QUICKLY ASSESSED THE SITUATION USING THE HEADS-UP DISPLAY, WHICH PROVIDED REAL-TIME GLIDE RATIO METRICS. USING THIS INFORMATION, THE PIC NAVIGATED THE UAV TOWARDS A PRE-DETERMINED SAFE LANDING ZONE. THE UAV EXECUTED A CONTROLLED DESCENT, MAKING A SAFE LANDING APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET EAST OF THE "A" TAXIWAY. THROUGHOUT THE DESCENT AND LANDING, THE UAV REMAINED IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE CONTROL TEAM.

UPON SECURING THE AIRCRAFT, THE GROUND CREW ARRIVED AT THE LANDING SITE TO ASSESS THE SITUATION. THEY PLACED THE UAV INTO SAFE MODE, POWERING OFF THE SYSTEM TO PREVENT ANY FURTHER COMPLICATIONS. THE CREW THEN CONDUCTED A THOROUGH VISUAL INSPECTION, DOCUMENTING THE SCENE WITH PHOTOGRAPHS TO AID IN SUBSEQUENT ANALYSIS. NO IMMEDIATE HAZARDS WERE DETECTED IN THE VICINITY OF THE LANDING SITE.

A PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF THE FLIGHT DATA IDENTIFIED THE ROOT CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE AS A MALFUNCTION OF THE IGNITION SERVO. THIS COMPONENT FAILURE WAS ISOLATED AS THE SOLE ISSUE, WITH NO OTHER IRREGULARITIES DETECTED IN THE AIRCRAFT'S SYSTEMS DURING THE DATA REVIEW.

## 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 WPR25LA135](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR25LA135), Apr 8, 2025: Martin Uav Vbat (N443VA), Douglas, AZ, substantial damage. Probable cause: The malfunction of the throttle servo which resulted in the complete loss of engine power.

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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