What happened
On May 10, 2013, a General Atomics MQ-9 Predator, registration CBP113, was performing a routine patrol in the warning areas east of Cape Canaveral, Florida. The aircraft, operated by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Air and Marine, returned to the Patrick Air Force Base Skid Strip (KXMR) for landing under VFR conditions.
During the first landing attempt on Runway 13, the aircraft floated and the main landing gear contacted the runway, causing the aircraft to rebound into the air. The Sensor Operator requested a go-around after noticing the aircraft was slowing below the recommended landing speed. Flight instrumentation recorded a G-load of +3.8 during this initial contact.
During the second landing attempt, the aircraft maintained an altitude of approximately 20 feet above the runway during the flare. The airspeed dropped to approximately 89 knots, and the nose wheel made contact with the runway first. This initial contact caused a bounce, after which the Sensor Operator called for a go-around, though the pilot did not initiate the procedure as the aircraft was already on the ground.
The nose wheel bounced a second time with a greater rebound height. Upon the third contact, the nose wheel tire failed, causing the aircraft to rebound at a high pitch angle and triggering a high angle of attack warning. During a fourth contact, the landing gear sheared. The aircraft fell onto its EO/IR payload and veered left, coming to rest on its nose approximately 30 feet left of the runway. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, but there were no injuries.
The investigation
Engineers from CBP analyzed the Ground Control Station (GCS) and determined it was configured correctly for the mission and functioned properly, contributing nothing to the accident. The aircraft's gross weight and center of gravity were found to be within the limits specified in the operator's manual, with no center of gravity issues identified.