A catastrophic electrical system overload caused the crash of an MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle June 2 about two kilometers north of Joint Base Balad, Iraq, Air Combat Command announced Tuesday. The overload, associated with a problem with the aircraft’s No. 2 alternator, caused the aircraft’s primary control module—its brain—to fail, resulting in the mishap, ACC said in a release highlighting the findings of the accident investigation board report. The Predator, valued at $4 million, was assigned to the 432nd Wing at Creech AFB, Nev. It was damaged beyond repair and, accordingly, destroyed for security reasons, ACC said. There were no injuries or damage to other property.
A massive contract to manage thousands of PCS moves failed because U.S. Transportation Command did not adequately oversee the results, according to the Government Accountability Office.
