A defective pitch-rate controller led to a QRF-4C Phantom II crash just eight seconds after take-off from Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., July 17, 2013, according to an Air Combat Command Accident Investigation Board report just released. Continue reading
Category Archives: Accident Reporting
Customs and Border Protection Predator Fleet Flies Again
Effective Feb. 7, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) lifted the temporary grounding of its entire Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) fleet — an order that was put in place on Jan. 24 “out of an abundance of caution” following an Office of Air and Marine flight crew having had to ditch one of CBP’s multi-million dollar Predators in the Pacific Ocean at about 11:15 PM PST” on Jan. 27. Continue reading
Afghans Stone Downed Predator
US Customs Unmanned Aircraft Down in Pacific
A U.S. Customs and Border Patrol UAS was purposely crashed into the ocean about 20 miles southwest of San Diego after it developed a mechanical problem, an agency spokesman said Tuesday. The CPB Office of Air and Marine flight crew deliberately crashed the unmanned aircraft about 11:15 p.m. Monday, according to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol spokesman Michael Friel. Continue reading
Yemen says American UAS Crashed into Mountain
UN Falco Crashes in Congo
An unmanned aircraft used by U.N. peacekeepers in Democratic Republic of Congo crashed on Wednesday near the eastern town of Goma, sources at the airport and interior ministry said. Continue reading
Fire at UAV Engines Factory in England
Firefighters tackled a blaze which broke out at UAV Engines Ltd in Shenstone, near Birmingahm in England, on Monday. Two crews from Lichfield and one from Aldridge in the West Midlands attended the incident on Lynn Lane. Continue reading
DJI Phantom + Sony RX 100 II Crashes into Icelandic Ocean
In the days before my trip to Iceland, I had the chance to play with the DJI Phantom, an affordable, out-of-the-box quadcopter for budding aerial videographers. Continue reading