Student pilot error caused the crash of an Air National Guard MQ-1B Predator remotely piloted aircraft during a training mission April 20 in southern California, Air Combat Command investigators have determined. The pilot’s failure to recognize that the Predator’s speed was too low during final approach caused a stall and subsequent hard landing of the aircraft at Southern California Logistics Airport in Victorville, according to the findings of ACC’s accident investigation board. Upon impact, the Predator left the prepared runway and subsequently broke apart, resulting in its total loss and the loss of the inert Hellfire training missile on its wing. Total damages are estimated at about $3.7 million. The Predator belonged to the ANG’s 163rd Reconnaissance Wing at March Air Reserve Base. The student operator was from Cannon AFB, N.M., and was training under the Air Guardsmen’s supervision. (ACC release) (AIB executive summary)
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.
