AAIB investigation to Yuneec Typhoon H480, (UAS, registration n/a)
Loss of electrical power on approach to land, RAF St Athan, Wales 26 September 2018.
Summary:
The unmanned aircraft (UA) had been flown on several occasions earlier in the day providing aerial imagery for a multi-agency exercise. Prior to the accident flight a new, fully-charged, battery had been installed and no problems were identified during the pre-flight checks. The UA had completed a flight of approximately 12 minutes duration and was returning to the landing site when, at a height of approximately 30 feet, it tilted forward and then “flew into the ground”. The UA suffered significant damage but no one was injured and no vehicles or property were damaged. The UA was returned to the manufacturer’s agent for testing. No pre-accident defects were identified during the tests. Data, recovered from the UA, showed that during the incident flight no error messages were generated but as it descended to a height of 37 feet electrical power was lost. The manufacturer confirmed that it is possible to operate the Typhoon H480 without the battery being fully installed and secure. Movement of an insecure battery in-flight has previously resulted in a small number of crashes due to electrical power loss.
Download report: