What was found
DURING THE DOCKING PHASE OF FLIGHT, THE FRONT LEFT HAND BOOM ARM ON AIRCRAFT P2-ZIP-642 FRACTURED UPON IMPACT WITH THE DOCK, RESULTING IN AN AUTO-DOCK IN A DEGRADED HOVER MODE. THE AIRCRAFT RECOVERED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. REVIEW OF FLIGHT TELEMETRY IDENTIFIED GNSS SIGNAL QUALITY DEGRADATION AND DATA GAPS AT THE TIME OF DOCK CONTACT. RTK DATA INDICATES THAT THE SYSTEM REJECTED A-SIDE RTK CORRECTIONS APPROXIMATELY HALFWAY THROUGH THE MISSION AND OPERATED ON A COMPUTE B SOLUTION FOR THE REMAINDER OF FLIGHT. POST-IMPACT DATA SHOWS THE A-SIDE RTK RESIDUAL DECREASING AND THE NAVIGATION SOLUTION REACQUIRING A VALID FIX DURING DOCKING. ANALYSIS SUGGESTS THE AIRCRAFT WAS OPERATING ON AN INCORRECT (FALSE) RTK FIX FOR A PORTION OF THE FLIGHT AND REACQUIRED A CORRECT FIX AT OR IMMEDIATELY AFTER DOCK CONTACT. PRELIMINARY NAVIGATION ANALYSIS INDICATES THE EVENT WAS LIKELY DUE TO A FALSE GNSS/RTK POSITION SOLUTION AND IS NOT ATTRIBUTED TO EXTERNAL INTERFERENCE AFFECTING OTHER AIRCRAFT. THE AIRCRAFT AUTO-DOCKED SUCCESSFULLY IN DEGRADED HOVER MODE. OPERATIONS AT THE KAUFMAN SITE WERE PAUSED PENDING ENGINEERING INVESTIGATION.
UAS: ZIPLINE: P2 ZIP-642, SERIAL NUMBER:18735P2642, TOTAL TIME: 149, TOTAL CYCLES: 1379.