General Atomics MQ-9 accident near Sierra Vista, Arizona, November 7, 2008
On November 7, 2008 at about 5:36 am local time, a General Atomics MQ-9, registered CBP113, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Sierra Vista, Arizona (Ft. Huachuca / Sierra Vista airport). It was a public-use flight (federal) under public-use (government) rules. No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
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.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 7, 2008 · about 5:36 am local time
- Place
- Sierra Vista, Arizona · Ft. Huachuca / Sierra Vista · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 7 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- General Atomics MQ-9 · all MQ-9s on the register
- Registration
- CBP113 · no longer on the register · serial FC113
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight (federal) · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
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.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- factor Organizational issues › Support/oversight/monitoring › Training › (general) › Operator
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusio › Visual illusion/disorientation › Pilot
Flight instructor
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Seat: ctr
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instrument: airplane
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 636 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, October 25, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 10,000 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Honeywell TPE331 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KFHU Sierra Vista AZ at 11:00 pm
- Destination: KFHU Sierra Vista AZ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 26, 12,001 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 250° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.18 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 am from KFHU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 7 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under CBP113 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.