Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Patrick Afb Skid Strip Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Cocoa Beach, Florida 32920
Friday, May 10, 2013 12:24 EDT
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
On May 10, 2013, at 12:24 pm eastern daylight time (EDT) a General Atomics MQ-9 Predator, serial number CBP-113, operated by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Air and Marine (OAM), under the callsign Omaha 13, experienced a bounced landing and runway excursion on runway 13 at the Patrick Air Force Base Skid Strip (KXMR), Cape Canaveral Florida. The aircraft was substantially damaged, there were no injuries. The aircraft was operated as a non-military Public Aircraft in Restricted Airspace.
According to the operator, the aircraft had departed from KXMR at 0736 EDT for a routine patrol in the warning areas east of the airport. The aircraft conducted the launch and patrol without incident. The aircraft departed the patrol area at approximately 1142 EDT for return to KXMR. During the initial approach under VFR conditions, the aircraft conducted a go-around after first touching down. During the first landing attempt, the Sensor Operator (SO) called for a go-around when he noticed that the aircraft was slowing below the recommended landing speed based on the weight of the aircraft (computed reference speed was 102 knots) and that the aircraft was floating. The main landing gear contacted the runway, rebounding the aircraft back into the air. The aircraft remained airborne for the go-around procedure. Flight instrumentation in the GCS recorded a G-Load of +3.8 with the hard landing annunciator illuminating momentarily. Flight was re-established in the traffic pattern for a second landing procedure. Winds were reported from the control tower at 140 degrees at 11 knots with no gusts reported. The approach was made to Runway 13. Upon the second landing attempt to Runway 13, the control tower once again reported winds from 140 degrees at 11 knots. No gusts were reported by the control tower. As the aircraft approached its landing area, a flare to land was conducted resulting in the aircraft maintaining an attitude of approximately 20 feet above the runway (based on laser altimeter information) as power was reduced. The indicated airspeed dropped to approximately 89 knots as the landing gear came into contact with the runway nose wheel first. As the aircraft bounced on the nose wheel, the SO called for a go-around. The PIC stated that the aircraft was already on the ground and did not initiate a go-around at that time. The nose wheel bounced a second time with the height of the rebound being greater than the first. Upon the third contact of the nose wheel with the runway, the nose wheel tire failed and the aircraft rebounded with a higher pitch angle resulting in a high angle of attack warning. During the fourth contact with the runway, the landing gear sheared. The aircraft then fell onto its EO/IR payload (located under the nose portion of the fuselage) and veered off of the runway to Its left. The aircraft came to rest on its nose approximately 30 feet to the left side of the runway. The left winglet was in contact with the sod and its right main landing gear was holding up the right side of the aircraft. The G-Load recorded in the GCS during the accident landing sequence was +5.0. During both approaches and landings the LRE PIC utilized the daytime airframe camera for the approach and landing with the SO utilizing the daytime EO/IR system. The aircraft gross weight and center of gravity were within the limits as stated in the Operators Manual with no indication of CG related issue being present. The Ground Control Station(GCS) was configured in a standard setting that was appropriate for the mission being flown. An analysis was completed and it was determined by CBP UAS engineers that the GCS was working properly and did not contribute the accident.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
an improper flare leading to a nose-wheel first touchdown, which resulted in a pilot induced oscillation (PIO). The PIO caused the UAS to pitch up abruptly on the third nose gear contact with the runway, resulting in the separation of the nose wheel assembly from the landing gear strut.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 5/10/2013 |
| Event Day of the Week | Friday |
| Time of Event | 1224 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Daylight Time |
| Event City | Cocoa Beach |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 32920 |
| Event Date Year | 2013 |
| Event Date Month | 5 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 282803N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0803400W |
| Event Location Airport | Patrick AFB Skid Strip |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | XMR |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 10 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1224 Eastern Daylight Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 0 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | XMR |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 10 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 0 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EDT |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| 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) | 29 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 22 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 140 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 11 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.1 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | -- |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 32388 |
| 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 | Jan 28 2014 9:33AM |
| User who most recently changed record | engb |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | CBP113 |
| NTSB Number | DCA13CA088 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Public Use |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| 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 | 113 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 10500 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | 0 |
| Cabin Crew Seats | 0 |
| Passenger Seats | 0 |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 0 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | 100 Hour |
| Date of Last Inspection | Mar 11 2013 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | -- |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Unknown |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Customs and Border Protection |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Washington |
| Aircraft Owner State | DC |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 20229 |
| Operator is an individual? | No |
| Operator Name | Customs and Border Protection |
| Operator Same as Owner? | Yes |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Cape Canaveral |
| Operator State | FL |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | -- |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | -- |
| 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 | XMR |
| Departure City | Cocoa Beach |
| Departure State | FL |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 736 |
| Departure Time Zone | EDT |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | XMR |
| Destination City | Cocoa Beach |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 28 2014 9:33AM |
| User who most recently changed record | engb |
| Since inspection or accident | -- |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 13 |
| Runway Length | 10000 |
| Runway Width | 200 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |