A MQ-4C Triton landed on its belly after a test flight last Wednesday went wrong at Naval Base Ventura County in California. The incident occurred at 2:45 pm Wednesday at Point Mugu when the aircraft from Florida-based Naval Air Station Jacksonville’s Unmanned Patrol Squadron 19 experienced an unspecified mechanical glitch during the flight.
“As a precautionary measure, the pilots shut down the engine and attempted to safely land the aircraft on the runway,” the release said. “The aircraft’s landing gear did not deploy and the aircraft landed on the runway with its landing gear retracted. Damages are substantial. There were no injuries.”
Cmdr. Dave Hecht said: “The Triton sustained significant damage and the landing was defined as a “Class A mishap,” an incident that result in a fatality or damage more than $2 million.”
Photo: The first MQ-4C Triton unmanned aerial vehicle, assigned to Unmanned Patrol Squadron (VUP) 19, Detachment Point Mugu, arrives at Naval Base Ventura County, Calif., on Nov. 9, 2017. – Public Affairs Specialist Theresa Miller/Navy
Sources: The Navy Times;