Amazon.Com Services LLC MK27-2 accident near Pendleton, Oregon, November 10, 2023
On November 10, 2023 at about 9:00 pm local time, a 2023 Amazon.Com Services LLC MK27-2 (helicopter), registered N692PA, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Pendleton, Oregon (Eastern Oregon Rgnl At Pendlet airport). It was a flight test under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The operator’s use of an insufficiently charged battery that resulted in a total loss of engine power and subsequent impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 10, 2023 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- Pendleton, Oregon · Eastern Oregon Rgnl At Pendlet · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amazon.Com Services LLC MK27-2, built 2023
- Registration
- N692PA · registry record · serial 17868SN000777
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight test · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The operator of the unmanned aircraft system (UAS) reported that during a test flight, the UAS descended, delivered a package to the practice location, and began a vertical climb to return to the landing zone. During the vertical climb, the UAS registered a low voltage health alert and initiated an “urgent land maneuver.” During the maneuver, the UAS battery depleted to a point where it lost propulsive power, and impacted terrain, resulting in substantial damage to all 4 wings, and spar damage to the number 2, 3, and 4 wings. Postaccident review of the circumstances surrounding the flight by the operator revealed that an insufficiently charged battery had been installed on the UAS. The operator reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the UAS that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Fuel exhaustion during landing defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Inspection › Preflight inspection › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Electrical power system › Battery/charger › Inadequate inspection
Pilot
- Certificate: private, remote
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,506 hours in all; 53 in this make and model; 1,506 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 10, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: none
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14.5 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, November 10, 2023
- Maximum gross weight: 87 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: Amazon.Com Services LLC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 10 knots
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.16 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from KPDT
Weather report (METAR): METAR KPDT 101953Z 28010KT 10SM FEW060 12/02 A3016 RMK AO2 SLP213 T01170022=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on January 4, 2024. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo Array | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number WPR24LA031.