Accident Details
On 19 March 2025 at 1222 UTC, a Tekever AR3 unmanned aircraft (UA) was operating a daylight visual line-of-sight (VLoS) training flight from Aberporth Airport, Cardiganshire. The flight was conducted at a height of up to 400 ft in benign weather conditions. After being airborne for 19 minutes, the UA suddenly pitched down and banked sharply. It struck the ground within the airport boundary, resulting in the destruction of the UA. A small lithium battery fire ensued, which was quickly extinguished by the airport's fire service.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was a Tekever AR3, serial number 3144, manufactured in 2024. It was powered by one Desert Aircraft DA-35 engine. The commander held a licence classified as "Other" and was 27 years old, with a total flying experience of 176 hours, of which 2 hours were on type. His flying experience in the last 90 days was not known, and in the last 28 days was 5 hours.
Investigation and Findings
The information for this report was sourced from an Aircraft Accident Report Form submitted by the pilot. The manufacturer’s safety department concluded that the most probable cause of the accident was the failure of a flight control servo. At the time of the accident, the commands received from the Ground Control System and the demands made to flight control servos were recorded, but the actual positions that the servos achieved were not recorded. The manufacturer stated that it intends to modify the UAS to record a feedback signal for all flight control servos.
Damage and Injuries
No persons were on board the UA. Injuries were recorded as N/A. The UA was destroyed in the accident.