General Atomics MQ-9 CBP233
13 November 2020 · Sierra Vista, Arizona, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 13 November 2020 at about 19:26 local time, a General Atomics MQ-9 registered CBP233, operated by Customs and Border Patrol, was involved in an accident near Sierra Vista, Arizona, United States. Nobody was injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 19:26
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Sierra Vista, Arizona, United States
- Nearest airport
- Sierra Vista Municipal Airport (FHU)
- Coordinates
- 31.5885, -110.3444
- Aircraft
- General Atomics MQ-9
- Registration
- CBP233
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 2012
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Customs and Border Patrol
- Operating rule
- Public Use
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Sierra Vista → Unknown
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- WPR21LA054
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Not recorded | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s incorrect automated landing profile selection, which resulted in an impact with a runway trench. Contributing to the accident was the pilot receiving instruction's and instructor's failure to spot the incorrect landing profile selection during prelanding checks.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The Operations Supervisor reported that the instructional flight with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was programmed for a single takeoff and traffic pattern to a full-stop landing. During the pre-landing checks, the pilot under instruction selected the incorrect landing profile, which did not account for the current runway displaced threshold because of runway construction. Shortly before touchdown, the pilot initiated a go-around but the landing gear impacted a runway trench, and subsequently the UAV impacted the ground. A post-crash fire ensued and the UAV was destroyed. The supervisor added that neither the instructor pilot nor the pilot receiving instruction spotted the incorrect selection during the pre-landing checks.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other General Atomics MQ-9 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Nov 2019 | General Atomics MQ-9 | Palmdale, California, United States | General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc | No injuries | - |
| 15 May 2023 | General Atomics MQ-9 BLOCK 1 | Elgin, Arizona, United States | US Customs and Border Protection | No injuries | - |
| 27 Jan 2014 | General Atomics MQ-9 | Point Loma, California, United States | US Customs and Border Protection | No injuries | - |
| 10 May 2013 | General Atomics MQ-9 | Cocoa Beach, Florida, United States | Customs and Border Protection | No injuries | - |
| 19 Feb 2009 | General Atomics MQ-9 | Sierra Vista, Arizona, United States | US Customs and Border Protection | No injuries | - |
| 7 Nov 2008 | General Atomics MQ-9 | Sierra Vista, Arizona, United States | US Customs and Border Protection Service | No injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Mar 2020 | Piper PA 28-180 | Tucson, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Oct 2020 | Cessna 150 | Rimrock, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 13 May 2020 | Mooney M20J | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Jul 2020 | Beechcraft 23 | Sedona, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Oct 2020 | Cessna 172 | Carefree, Arizona, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 May 2020 | Cessna 172 | Tucson, Arizona, United States | Skylens LLC | No injuries | - |