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 0958 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 had been erected at the job site between 0730 and 0800. At 0949, there was an initial impact to the boom of the crane from a UAS and the crane operator terminated operations to evaluate the situation. A second UAS then impacted the stationary crane boom approximately 9 minutes after the first reported impact. The crane was retracted, lowered, and inspected, revealing no structural damage but paint transfer from the UAS. 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. The flight track data revealed that the UAS activated at 0940:10, ascended to about 1,014 feet mean sea level (MSL), and conducted flight checks. At 0956:25, it ascended to 1,154 feet MSL and departed the delivery center heading north. At 0957:30, the UAS turned east at about 1,206 feet MSL. At 0958:04, while on an easterly heading, the UAS descended from 1,218 feet MSL (about 200 feet AGL) to 1,073 feet MSL (about 60 feet AGL) until contact was lost at 0958:08, approximately 160 feet east of the crane's location.
This is the end of this report.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 1, 2025, AT APPROXIMATELY 0958 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 HAD BEEN ERECTED AT THE JOB SITE BETWEEN 0730 AND 0800. AT 0949, THERE WAS AN INITIAL IMPACT TO THE BOOM OF THE CRANE FROM A UAS AND THE CRANE OPERATOR TERMINATED OPERATIONS TO EVALUATE THE SITUATION. A SECOND UAS THEN IMPACTED THE STATIONARY CRANE BOOM APPROXIMATELY 9 MINUTES AFTER THE FIRST REPORTED IMPACT. THE CRANE WAS RETRACTED, LOWERED, AND INSPECTED, REVEALING NO STRUCTURAL DAMAGE BUT PAINT TRANSFER FROM THE UAS. 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. THE FLIGHT TRACK DATA REVEALED THAT THE UAS ACTIVATED AT 0940:10, ASCENDED TO ABOUT 1,014 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL), AND CONDUCTED FLIGHT CHECKS. AT 0956:25, IT ASCENDED TO 1,154 FEET MSL AND DEPARTED THE DELIVERY CENTER HEADING NORTH. AT 0957:30, THE UAS TURNED EAST AT ABOUT 1,206 FEET MSL. AT 0958:04, WHILE ON AN EASTERLY HEADING, THE UAS DESCENDED FROM 1,218 FEET MSL (ABOUT 200 FEET AGL) TO 1,073 FEET MSL (ABOUT 60 FEET AGL) UNTIL CONTACT WAS LOST AT 0958:08, APPROXIMATELY 160 FEET EAST 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.