Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Ft. Huachuca / Sierra Vista Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Sierra Vista, Arizona
Thursday, November 6, 2008 22:36 MST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
At the time of the accident, the flight was operating as a training evaluation mission for a Launch-Recovery Element (LRE) checkride, performing a sequence of touch and go landings on runway 26. The accident landing was the first during this session using the Multi-Spectral Targeting Ball (MTS-B) payload camera vice the fixed nose camera. The payload camera, located about 3 feet lower than the fixed nose camera, produces a different angle and field of view. Additionally, the payload camera is gyro stabilized for mission requirements and gives a different visual perception during landing. The flare during the accident landing was initiated closer to the runway and to less of a nose up attitude than normal. The aircraft bounced and contacted the runway four times, the magnitude of the bounces and pitch excursions dynamically increasing until the nosewheel fractured and the aircraft began to slide. During the bounces, the pilot began to initiate a go-around and at the same time, the evaluator pilot took hold of the control stick in an attempt to correct the bounces; however, the corrective action was too late to prevent the accident. There was no evidence of any pre-existing damage to the nose gear components and no anomalies in the flight controls.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
the failure of the pilot to timely flare the aircraft to the appropriate attitude, likely associated with the different sight picture after switching cameras, resulting in a bounced landing; and the evaluator pilot’s lack of timely recognition and intervention. Contributing to the accident was the lack of standards and criteria in the Customs and Border Protection initial and recurrent training program for use of the MTS-B camera.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 11/6/2008 |
| Event Day of the Week | Thursday |
| Time of Event | 2236 |
| Event Time Zone | Mountain Standard Time |
| Event City | Sierra Vista |
| Event State | ARIZONA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | -- |
| Event Date Year | 2008 |
| Event Date Month | 11 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | -- |
| Event Location Longitude | -- |
| Event Location Airport | Ft. Huachuca / Sierra Vista |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | KFHU |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 4599 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 2250 Mountain Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | KFHU |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 4600 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | MST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 12 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 11 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 250 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 6 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.18 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 7 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 26556 |
| NTSB Notification Source | CBP |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Mar 9 2010 1:03PM |
| User who most recently changed record | johb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | CBP113 |
| NTSB Number | DCA09FA009 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Public Use |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | Yes |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | GENERAL ATOMICS |
| Aircraft Model | MQ-9 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | FC113 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 10000 |
| Aircraft Category | Unknown |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | -- |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Unknown |
| Date of Last Inspection | Oct 25 2008 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 636 |
| ELT Installed | No |
| ELT Activated | Unknown |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | US Customs and Border Protection Service |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | -- |
| Aircraft Owner State | AZ |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | -- |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | US Customs and Border Protection Service |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | -- |
| Operator State | -- |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | -- |
| Second Pilot on Board | Yes |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | KFHU |
| Departure City | Sierra Vista |
| Departure State | AZ |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1600 |
| Departure Time Zone | MST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | KFHU |
| Destination City | Sierra Vista |
| Destination State | AZ |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 1 2014 9:13AM |
| User who most recently changed record | broda |
| Since inspection or accident | Time of Accident |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 26 |
| Runway Length | 12001 |
| Runway Width | 150 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |