In addition to providing new details about the doomed flight, the records show that Navy investigators concluded that a mechanical failure caused the aircraft to spiral out of control. Continue reading
Category Archives: Accident Reporting
Near Miss with NYPD Helicopter
Two UAS nearly took out an NYPD chopper over the George Washington Bridge on Monday, and cops arrested the wayward crafts’ operators, law-enforcement sources told The Post. The Aviation Unit helicopter was on patrol at around 12:15 a.m. when it had to swerve to avoid the small unmanned aircrafts, the sources said.
Human Error Contributed to Drone Crash Into US Navy Ship
A drone crash that damaged USS Chancellorsville and injured two sailors was caused by a malfunctioning control system and human error, according to a U.S. Navy report unclassified this week.
Multiple System Failures Caused Reaper Lake Ontario Crash
A series of system malfunctions led to the crash of an MQ-9 Reaper into Lake Ontario, New York, Nov. 12, 2013. The crash occurred approximately 35 miles southwest of Fort Drum, New York according to an Air Combat Command Accident Investigation Board report just released. Continue reading
Holloman MQ-1B Predator Accident Report Released
Loss of telemetry downlink signal and an unprogrammed pitch over caused the crash of an MQ-1B Predator 7.5 nautical miles North of Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., Oct. 30, 2013, according to an Air Combat Command Accident Investigation Board report released on Thursday. Continue reading
US Military UAS Crashes Worldwide
More than 400 large U.S. military drones crashed in major accidents worldwide between Sept. 11, 2001, and December 2013. By reviewing military investigative reports and other records, The Washington Post was able to identify 194 drone crashes that fell into the most severe category: Class A accidents that destroyed the aircraft or caused (under current standards) at least $2 million in damage. Continue reading
47 US Military UAS in Domestic Class A Accidents Since 2001
Shortly after the day’s final bell rang and hundreds of youngsters ran outside Lickdale Elementary School with their book bags and lunch-boxes, a military drone fell from the sky. The 375-pound Shadow reconnaissance drone skimmed the treetops as it hurtled toward the school in Jonestown, Pa. It barely missed the building, then cartwheeled through the butterfly garden and past the playground. The aircraft kept rolling like a tumbleweed and collided with a passing car on Fisher Avenue. People called 911. The rescue squad arrived in a hurry. Luckily, no one was hurt.
194 US Military UAS Class A Accidents Since 2001
More than 400 large U.S. military drones have crashed in major accidents around the world since 2001, a record of calamity that exposes the potential dangers of throwing open American skies to drone traffic, according to a year-long Washington Post investigation.