Skip to content

WPR25LA063

2024-12-16 · Pendleton, Oregon, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport PDT

Current FAA registration · N209PA

Make / Model
AMAZON.COM SERVICES LLC MK30
Year of manufacture
2024 · 0 years old at event
Engine
AMA/EXPR UNKNOWN ENG
0
Last airworthiness date
20241029
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A1B4B8

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

An improper altitude indication from a recent software update, which resulted in a loss of engine power in flight.

Factual narrative

The operator of the unmanned aircraft system (UAS) reported that, during a test flight with a new software upgrade, the UAS completed the delivery mission and was transitioning to land, when all six motors suddenly stopped. The UAS fell to the ground and impacted the asphalt taxiway, resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage and wings. Examination of the UAS by the operator revealed that the vehicle erroneously determined it had touched down due to an incorrect altitude reading from a new software installation, which resulted in a loss of engine power. The operator reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the UAS that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Aircraft-Aircraft systems-Indicating/recording systems-Automatic data-Malfunction

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2024_WPR25LA063.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

Search this event elsewhere

External sources are reported, not agency: signal that something happened, not fact about what happened.

Related research

Matched on aircraft type or causal vocabulary (stall). All research papers