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WPR25LA103

2025-02-21 · Pendleton, Oregon, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport PDT

Current FAA registration · N265PA

Make / Model
AMAZON.COM SERVICES LLC MK30
Year of manufacture
2024 · 1 years old at event
Engine
AMA/EXPR UNKNOWN ENG
0
Last airworthiness date
20240713
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A292D6

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The unmanned aircraft system’s failure to maintain clearance from an obstacle, which resulted in a loss of control and impact with terrain.

Factual narrative

The operator of the unmanned aircraft system (UAS) reported that, the purpose of the flight was to test the Safe Contingent Land (SCL) during a flight test operation, vertical ascent following a delivery. An obstacle (cart) was intentionally placed in the delivery area. As the UAS hovered over the delivery location, a commercial drone piloted by another employee, intentionally flew above the UAS. The UAS detected the drone and descended. During the descent the UAS struck the cart and came to a stop on the ground near the cart. After landing, the UAS performed an unplanned vertical ascent, started to oscillate, and descended into the ground. The UAS sustained substantial damage to the upper wing struts and fuselage. 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.

  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Ground equipment-Effect on operation

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2025_WPR25LA103.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 (loss of control). All research papers