- Date
- April 8, 2025, 14:55 local (21:55 UTC)
- Place
- Douglas, AZ
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N443VAMartin Uav Vbat
- Defining event
- Enroute: 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
- 20250408003859A
- Case key
- 200022
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 malfunction of the throttle servo which resulted in the complete loss of engine power.
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, the throttle servo malfunction resulting in complete loss of engine power. The pilot was able to maneuver the UAS to a safe location where it impacted terrain, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and flight control surfaces.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N443VA
- Reported as
- Martin Uav Vbat
- Category
- Airplane, unmanned
- Serial number
- 043
- Built
- 2022
- Airframe hours
- 28.8
- Engine
- Suter TOA 288, 23 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · Part 91
- Operator
- Northrop Grumman
- Registered owner
- Northrop Grumman
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Experimental (Special)
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · March 11, 2025 · 3 hours before
- Airport
- DUG · Bisbee Douglas Intl
- Equipment
- Heads up display, Electronic primary flight display, Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator, Stall warning system
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Remote
- Last flight review
- September 11, 2024
- Seat
- None
- Restraint
- None
- Role
- Other flight crew
- Age
- 39
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- September 11, 2024
- Seat
- None
- Restraint
- None
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 230° at 15 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 36 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.02 inHg
- Observed at
- KDUG, 1 nm away
- METAR
- KDUG 152156Z AUTO 23015G27KT 10SM FEW110 31/02 A3002 RMK AO2 PK WND 22027/2148 SLP098 T03060017
Docket · 1
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 20, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.7 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.