- Date
- December 16, 2024, 09:58 local (17:58 UTC)
- Place
- Pendleton, OR · On airport
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N209PAAmazon.Com Services MK30
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of engine power (total)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Western Pacific Region
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20241216018719A
- Case key
- 199433
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
An improper altitude indication from a recent software update, which resulted in a loss of engine power in flight.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The operator of the unmanned aircraft system (UAS) reported that, during a test flight with a new software upgrade, the UAS completed the delivery mission and was transitioning to land, when all six motors suddenly stopped. The UAS fell to the ground and impacted the asphalt taxiway, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. Examination of the UAS by the operator revealed that the vehicle erroneously determined it had touched down due to an incorrect altitude reading from a new software installation, which resulted in a loss of engine power. The operator reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the UAS that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N209PA
- Reported as
- Amazon.Com Services MK30
- Category
- Helicopter, unmanned
- Serial number
- 178650100G
- Built
- 2024
- Airframe hours
- 57.3
- Engines
- Ama/Expr UNKNOWN ENG, electricAma/Expr UNKNOWN ENG, electricAma/Expr UNKNOWN ENG, electricAma/Expr UNKNOWN ENG, electricAma/Expr UNKNOWN ENG, electricAma/Expr UNKNOWN ENG, electric
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · Part 91
- Operator
- Amazon.Com Services LLC
- Registered owner
- Amazon.Com Services LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · November 20, 2024
- Airport
- PDT · Eastern Oregon Rgnl At Pendleton
- Equipment
- Data recorder
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 30
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Private, Remote
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 30, 2024
- Seat
- None
- Restraint
- None
- Flight hours
- 255 total · 250 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 5,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 39 °F, dew point 37 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- KPDT
- METAR
- KPDT 161753Z 32004KT 10SM BKN050 BKN065 OVC080 04/03 A2996 RMK AO2 RAE49 SLP149 P0000 60008 T00390033 10061 20039 53006
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 22, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.6 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.