What happened
On 28 September 2022, an MQ-9A Reaper, tail number 16-4332, was conducting a touch-and-go approach at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada. During the final stages of the approach, while descending through 25 feet, the aircraft's Multi-Spectral Targeting System (MTS) unexpectedly slewed from a forward view to a straight-down position.
Disoriented by this uncommanded movement, the pilot initiated a go-around procedure but simultaneously reduced the throttle to flight idle while pitching the aircraft up. This maneuver caused the airspeed to decay rapidly, leading to an aerodynamic stall. Although the pilot applied full throttle three seconds after the stall began, the aircraft was at too low an altitude to recover and impacted Runway 08. The impact caused the right main landing gear to fail and sent the aircraft into a decelerating spin. The aircraft eventually came to a rest near a taxiway intersection, where it caught fire and was destroyed. There were no fatalities and no injuries reported during the incident.
The investigation
The Air Combat Command (ACC) appointed an Abbreviated Accident Investigation Board to examine the circumstances of the mishap. The board reviewed aircraft data files, mission video, maintenance records, and witness testimonies from the crew members, which included a pilot, an instructor pilot, and two sensor operators. The investigation focused on the sequence of events during the landing approach, the functionality of the MTS sensor, and the execution of established go-around technical orders.
Findings
The investigation determined that the primary cause of the mishap was the pilot's incorrect execution of the go-around procedure, specifically by increasing the pitch angle while reducing engine power to idle. This resulted in an unpowered climb and a subsequent stall.
Several contributing factors were identified:
- The unexpected movement of the MTS sensor during a critical phase of flight caused significant disorientation and distraction for the entire crew.
- The pilot failed to utilize the instructor pilot's heads-up display (HUD) or other flight instruments to verify the aircraft's attitude and position relative to the runway.
- The instructor pilot prioritized correcting the video display over monitoring the pilot's performance of the go-around procedures.