- Date
- February 21, 2025, 10:33 local (18:33 UTC)
- Place
- Pendleton, OR
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N265PAAmazon.Com Services MK30
- Defining event
- Initial climb: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT)
- 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
- 20250221001139A
- Case key
- 199746
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
The unmanned aircraft system’s failure to maintain clearance from an obstacle, which resulted in a loss of control and impact with terrain.
Findings · 2
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, the purpose of the flight was to test the Safe Contingent Land (SCL) during a flight test operation, vertical ascent following a delivery. An obstacle (cart) was intentionally placed in the delivery area. As the UAS hovered over the delivery location, a commercial drone piloted by another employee, intentionally flew above the UAS. The UAS detected the drone and descended. During the descent the UAS struck the cart and came to a stop on the ground near the cart. After landing, the UAS performed an unplanned vertical ascent, started to oscillate, and descended into the ground. The UAS sustained substantial damage to the upper wing struts and fuselage. The operator reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the UAS that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N265PA
- Reported as
- Amazon.Com Services MK30
- Category
- Helicopter, unmanned
- Serial number
- 178650100U
- Built
- 2024
- Airframe hours
- 75.2
- 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 · January 26, 2025
- Departed
- PDT · Pendleton, OR
- 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
- 45
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Commercial, Remote, Military
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine sea, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Helicopter, Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- July 23, 2023
- Seat
- None
- Restraint
- None
- Flight hours
- 800 total · 215 in this make and model · 500 as pilot in command · 6 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 320° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.24 inHg
- Observed at
- KPDT, 1 nm away
- METAR
- KPDT 211853Z 32006KT 10SM CLR 07/01 A3024 RMK AO2 SLP243 T00670006
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 9, 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.