What happened
During a mission intended to evaluate the effectiveness of fuel fire retardants, an unmanned aircraft experienced a fatal accident during the landing phase. The aircraft was being operated by NASA for experimental purposes and was not carrying any passengers or crew members at the time of the incident.
Upon contact with the ground, the impact forces were sufficient to cause the total destruction of the airframe. Following the initial collision, a post-crash fire erupted, which further contributed to the loss of the vehicle. There were zero fatalities and zero injuries reported as the flight was uncrewed.
Findings
The investigation indicates that the aircraft was destroyed by both the mechanical forces of the impact and the subsequent fire that broke out after the crash.