General Atomics MQ-9 CBP-108

Summary

On 19 February 2009 at about 20:18 local time, a General Atomics MQ-9 registered CBP-108, operated by US Customs and Border Protection, was involved in an accident near Sierra Vista, Arizona, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

19 February 2009 at 20:18

Classification

Accident

Location

Sierra Vista, Arizona, United States

Nearest airport

Libby Army Airfield (KFHU)

Coordinates

31.5869, -110.3472

Aircraft

General Atomics MQ-9

Registration

CBP-108

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

US Customs and Border Protection

Operating rule

Public Use

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Sierra Vista → Sierra Vista

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

DCA09FA028

Nobody was injured.

The student pilot's improper flare while landing with a tailwind and the instructor pilot's delayed response.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

At the time of the accident the flight was operating as a Launch Recovery Element training mission, performing touch-and-go landings on runway 26. Customs and Border Protection had resumed pilot training following a Federal Aviation Administration-imposed suspension as a result of an accident 2 days prior. The accident landing was the seventh of eight planned landings. As the student pilot rotated the aircraft into the landing flare about six feet above the touchdown zone, a tailwind of approximately 9 knots was recorded. The instructor told the student to increase the pitch to arrest the descent rate and increase power to begin a go-around. However, the aircraft touched down hard on the main gear and lower vertical stabilizer and porpoised a number of times. The instructor then took over, executing a go-around and landing with no further incident. The aircraft sustained damage to the propeller, left main landing gear, vertical fin and the lower cowl. There was no evidence of any preexisting anomalies with the aircraft.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.