Introduction
On May 10, 2013, at 12:24 pm eastern daylight time, a General Atomics MQ-9 Predator (serial number CBP-113) operated by the US Customs and Border Protection Office of Air and Marine under callsign Omaha 13 sustained substantial damage during a bounced landing and runway excursion on Runway 13 at the Patrick Air Force Base Skid Strip (KXMR) in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The aircraft was operating as a non-military Public Aircraft in Restricted Airspace. There were no injuries.
First Landing Attempt
The aircraft had departed KXMR at 0736 EDT for a routine patrol east of the airport. It returned to the airfield at approximately 1142 EDT. During the initial visual flight rules approach, the sensor operator called for a go-around after the main landing gear contacted the runway, as the aircraft was below the computed reference speed of 102 knots and was floating. The aircraft rebounded into the air and executed the go-around. Flight instrumentation recorded a G-load of +3.8 and the hard landing annunciator momentarily illuminated.
Second Landing Attempt
Winds reported by the control tower were from 140 degrees at 11 knots with no gusts. On the second approach to Runway 13, the aircraft flared and maintained an altitude of approximately 20 feet above the runway as power was reduced. The indicated airspeed dropped to about 89 knots when the nose wheel made initial contact with the runway. The nose wheel bounced, and the sensor operator called for a go-around; the pilot in command did not initiate one, stating the aircraft was already on the ground. The nose wheel bounced again with greater rebound. On the third contact, the nose wheel tire failed, and the aircraft pitched up, triggering a high angle of attack warning. On the fourth contact, the landing gear sheared, and the aircraft fell onto its electro-optical/infrared payload. It veered left off the runway and came to rest on its nose approximately 30 feet left of the runway, with the left winglet on the sod and the right main landing gear supporting the right side. The G-load recorded during this sequence was +5.0.
Aftermath
The aircraft gross weight and center of gravity were within limits, with no indication of center-of-gravity issues. The ground control station was configured appropriately and functioned properly, according to CBP unmanned aircraft systems engineers. The entire approach and landing were conducted with the pilot in command using the daytime airframe camera and the sensor operator using the daytime electro-optical/infrared system.