Drone - Predator havari i 2015 hadde teknisk årsak - UAS Vision

Left Tail Break Caused 2015 Predator Crash

A mechanical failure of the left tail clamp on an MQ-1B Predator caused the remotely piloted aircraft to crash during a mission in an undisclosed area in the Middle East, the US Air Force announced.

On. Nov. 8, 2015, an MQ-1B assigned to the 432nd Wing at Creech AFB, Nev., which was operated by a deployed launch and recovery element from the 46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, crashed as it was approaching to land. An Air Combat Command Accident Investigation Board found that the failure of the left tail clamp or tail clamp bolts resulted in the airborne loss of the left tail. This caused an “unrecoverable departure from controlled flight.”

This happened as the pilot was conducting an arrival checklist. As the pilot alternated left and right inputs, mechanical and aerodynamic loads broke the weakened left tail clamp. The pilot, for 27 seconds, tried to regain control before the Predator crashed.

It was destroyed on impact, at a loss of $5.3 million.