What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 1, 2025, at approximately 0949 MST, a MK30 unmanned aircraft system (UAS) was substantially damaged in an incident near Tolleson, Arizona. The UAS, operated as a non-scheduled cargo flight under title 14 CFR part 135, collided with a mobile crane. There were no injuries reported. First responders found that two uass had collided with the crane, resulting in a battery fire.
The crane involved was a link belt ATC-3275, which arrive at the jobsite at 0530 and had been erected between 0730 and 0800. At 0949, there was an initial impact to the boom of the crane from a UAS. The crane operator terminated operations and was evaluating the UAS strike when a second UAS impacted the stationary crane. The crane was then retracted, lowered and inspected. The inspection of the crane structure resulted in no observed structural damage but there appeared to be paint transfer from the UAS. At the time of impact, the operator estimated that the crane was extended to a height
Of about 197.3 ft above ground level (AGL), and at an angle of about 25°.
The crane was estimated to be extended to about 197.3 feet above ground level (AGL) at an angle of 25°. The crane’s maximum height with its bi-folding lattice fly is 300.6 feet.
The UAS operator reported that the collision occurred about 1.25 miles northeast of the departure location during a commercial flight under FAA exemption. The planned flight route was at an altitude of about 200 feet AGL. Ground surveillance crews (gsc) conducted scans of the area twice on the day of the incident, at 0658, without identifying obstructions.
Examination at the site showed the UAS on the ground near the crane, with its battery ejected and on fire, which was contained by the fire department within 5 minutes. The fire did not spread beyond the battery’s location; the burn scaring was limited to beneath the battery and the fire did not reignite after being extinguished. The UAS fuselage and wings were damaged, but two electric wing-mounted motors remained attached. The UAS was recovered, and flight data was downloaded. A review of the UAS flight track data showed that at 0924:40 the UAS activated and prepared for flight. At 0947:10 the UAS ascended to about 1,043 ft mean sea level (MSL) and conducted maneuvers consistent with flight checks. At 0947:24 the UAS ascended to 1,154 ft MSL then departed from the operator’s package delivery center on a northern heading. At 0948:08 the UAS made a turn to the east while at an altitude of about 1,202 ft MSL. The UAS remained on an easterly heading until the data stopped recording at 0949:03, at an altitude of 1,218 ft MSL (about 200 ft AGL), about 150 ft west of the crane’s location. This is the end of this report.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 1, 2025, AT APPROXIMATELY 0949 MST, A MK30 UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM (UAS) WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED IN AN INCIDENT NEAR TOLLESON, ARIZONA. THE UAS, OPERATED AS A NON-SCHEDULED CARGO FLIGHT UNDER TITLE 14 CFR PART 135, COLLIDED WITH A MOBILE CRANE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. FIRST RESPONDERS FOUND THAT TWO UASS HAD COLLIDED WITH THE CRANE, RESULTING IN A BATTERY FIRE.
THE CRANE INVOLVED WAS A LINK BELT ATC-3275, WHICH ARRIVE AT THE JOBSITE AT 0530 AND HAD BEEN ERECTED BETWEEN 0730 AND 0800. AT 0949, THERE WAS AN INITIAL IMPACT TO THE BOOM OF THE CRANE FROM A UAS. THE CRANE OPERATOR TERMINATED OPERATIONS AND WAS EVALUATING THE UAS STRIKE WHEN A SECOND UAS IMPACTED THE STATIONARY CRANE. THE CRANE WAS THEN RETRACTED, LOWERED AND INSPECTED. THE INSPECTION OF THE CRANE STRUCTURE RESULTED IN NO OBSERVED STRUCTURAL DAMAGE BUT THERE APPEARED TO BE PAINT TRANSFER FROM THE UAS. AT THE TIME OF IMPACT, THE OPERATOR ESTIMATED THAT THE CRANE WAS EXTENDED TO A HEIGHT
OF ABOUT 197.3 FT ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL), AND AT AN ANGLE OF ABOUT 25°.
THE CRANE WAS ESTIMATED TO BE EXTENDED TO ABOUT 197.3 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) AT AN ANGLE OF 25°. THE CRANE’S MAXIMUM HEIGHT WITH ITS BI-FOLDING LATTICE FLY IS 300.6 FEET.
THE UAS OPERATOR REPORTED THAT THE COLLISION OCCURRED ABOUT 1.25 MILES NORTHEAST OF THE DEPARTURE LOCATION DURING A COMMERCIAL FLIGHT UNDER FAA EXEMPTION. THE PLANNED FLIGHT ROUTE WAS AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 200 FEET AGL. GROUND SURVEILLANCE CREWS (GSC) CONDUCTED SCANS OF THE AREA TWICE ON THE DAY OF THE INCIDENT, AT 0658, WITHOUT IDENTIFYING OBSTRUCTIONS.
EXAMINATION AT THE SITE SHOWED THE UAS ON THE GROUND NEAR THE CRANE, WITH ITS BATTERY EJECTED AND ON FIRE, WHICH WAS CONTAINED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WITHIN 5 MINUTES. THE FIRE DID NOT SPREAD BEYOND THE BATTERY’S LOCATION; THE BURN SCARING WAS LIMITED TO BENEATH THE BATTERY AND THE FIRE DID NOT REIGNITE AFTER BEING EXTINGUISHED. THE UAS FUSELAGE AND WINGS WERE DAMAGED, BUT TWO ELECTRIC WING-MOUNTED MOTORS REMAINED ATTACHED. THE UAS WAS RECOVERED, AND FLIGHT DATA WAS DOWNLOADED. A REVIEW OF THE UAS FLIGHT TRACK DATA SHOWED THAT AT 0924:40 THE UAS ACTIVATED AND PREPARED FOR FLIGHT. AT 0947:10 THE UAS ASCENDED TO ABOUT 1,043 FT MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL) AND CONDUCTED MANEUVERS CONSISTENT WITH FLIGHT CHECKS. AT 0947:24 THE UAS ASCENDED TO 1,154 FT MSL THEN DEPARTED FROM THE OPERATOR’S PACKAGE DELIVERY CENTER ON A NORTHERN HEADING. AT 0948:08 THE UAS MADE A TURN TO THE EAST WHILE AT AN ALTITUDE OF ABOUT 1,202 FT MSL. THE UAS REMAINED ON AN EASTERLY HEADING UNTIL THE DATA STOPPED RECORDING AT 0949:03, AT AN ALTITUDE OF 1,218 FT MSL (ABOUT 200 FT AGL), ABOUT 150 FT WEST OF THE CRANE’S LOCATION. THIS IS THE END OF THIS REPORT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.