U.S. Air Force Aerospace Mishap Reports: Accident Investigation Board Report on the 2017 Loss of MQ-1B RPA Predator Drone Aircraft Operated by Aircrew from 432d Air Expeditionary Wing, Creech AFB

This Air Force accident report has been professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction. On 17 August 2017, at approximately 18:59:32 Zulu (Z), the mishap aircraft (MA), a remotely piloted MQ-1B, tail number (T/N) 06-3166, from the 432d Wing, Creech Air Force Base (AFB), Nevada (NV), was lost in the United States Central Command Area of Responsibility (US CENTCOM AOR) while forward deployed participating in a combat support mission. At the time of the mishap, the MA was being operated by an aircrew from the 432d Air Expeditionary Wing, Creech AFB, NV. The MA executed an unrecoverable flight maneuver after the aircraft was transferred from the Launch and Recovery Element (LRE). The majority of the MA was destroyed from a fire at the impact site. The estimated cost of the MA and environmental clean-up cost was $5,380,813. There were no reported fatalities or injuries.

The Abbreviated Accident Investigation Board President determined, by a preponderance of the evidence, the cause of the mishap was an internal electrical failure that caused the un-commanded movement of the left tail surface, which resulted in the aircraft's inability to continue flight.