What happened
On 13 June 2021, an MQ-9A, tail number 14-4263, crashed at an undisclosed location within the CENTCOM Area of Responsibility during takeoff operations. The aircraft, assigned to the 27th Special Operations Wing, was being operated by a Launch and Recovery Element crew when it experienced a sudden loss of C-Band downlink connection while on its takeoff roll.
As the aircraft accelerated past 50 knots, the pilot observed significant video interference and degradation on the head-up display. While the aircraft's onboard lost link logic successfully triggered to manage the loss of signal, the pilot was unable to provide necessary steering corrections for a known left turn bias characteristic of the platform. Consequently, the aircraft veered left, striking a runway distance marker at approximately 80-90 knots. The impact damaged the landing gear and ignited a fire, resulting in the total destruction of the aircraft. There were no fatalities or injuries reported.
The investigation
The investigation established that the loss of communication was caused by electromagnetic interference between two Ground Control Stations (GCS). While the mishap aircraft was in a critical phase of flight, a second crew initiated the power-on process for another MQ-9, tail number 13-4604. The energy from this power-up overpowered the antenna of the mishap aircraft's Ground Data Terminal.
Findings
- The primary cause was the failure of the second crew to follow established checklists and warnings regarding de-conflicting aircraft power-on procedures.
- The second crew failed to notify nearby GCS units or receive confirmation that it was safe to apply power while another aircraft was in a critical phase of flight.
- The resulting downlink failure prevented the pilot from correcting the aircraft's natural left turn bias, leading to the runway excursion.