Generator failure led to drone crash, investigation finds

A generator problem and electrical failure led to the crash of a drone in February, an Air Force investigation announced Wednesday.

The Air Force crew intentionally crashed the MQ-9A Reaper over international waters after they were unable to fix the problem Feb. 4, according to the report by the Accident Investigation Board.

The $13.2 million aircraft was destroyed and the wreckage was not recovered, the service said.

The Reaper was assigned to the 435th Air Expeditionary Wing in the Africa Command. It was flying an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission when the problem occurred, according to Air Combat Command.

Three hours into the drone's flight, its starter-generator failed, the report said. The piloting crew put the aircraft into a holding pattern and shut down noncritical systems to conserve power. However, upon learning the Reaper would not have enough battery life to return to base, the decision was made to fly it over international waters to crash, the Air Force said.

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