Pilot Debrief

GENERAL ATOMICS MQ-9 near Sierra Vista, AZ — 2008-11-07

Final reportDCA09FA009
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Date
2008-11-07
Location
Sierra Vista, AZ, USA
Airport
KFHU
Aircraft
GENERAL ATOMICS MQ-9
Registration
CBP113
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
None
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Landing

Probable cause

the failure of the pilot to timely flare the aircraft to the appropriate attitude, likely associated with the different sight picture after switching cameras, resulting in a bounced landing; and the evaluator pilot’s lack of timely recognition and intervention. Contributing to the accident was the lack of standards and criteria in the Customs and Border Protection initial and recurrent training program for use of the MTS-B camera.

Contributing factors

Contributing to the accident was the lack of standards and criteria in the Customs and Border Protection initial and recurrent training program for use of the MTS-B camera.

NTSB narrative

At the time of the accident, the flight was operating as a training evaluation mission for a Launch-Recovery Element (LRE) checkride, performing a sequence of touch and go landings on runway 26. The accident landing was the first during this session using the Multi-Spectral Targeting Ball (MTS-B) payload camera vice the fixed nose camera. The payload camera, located about 3 feet lower than the fixed nose camera, produces a different angle and field of view. Additionally, the payload camera is gyro stabilized for mission requirements and gives a different visual perception during landing. The flare during the accident landing was initiated closer to the runway and to less of a nose up attitude than normal. The aircraft bounced and contacted the runway four times, the magnitude of the bounces and pitch excursions dynamically increasing until the nosewheel fractured and the aircraft began to slide. During the bounces, the pilot began to initiate a go-around and at the same time, the evaluator pilot took hold of the control stick in an attempt to correct the bounces; however, the corrective action was too late to prevent the accident. There was no evidence of any pre-existing damage to the nose gear components and no anomalies in the flight controls.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Loss of control
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have aborted landing after first bounce to prevent further impacts.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • Video
  • FDR / data
  • Photos
  • 21 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents21

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