The failure of an engine turbocharger caused the crash of an MQ-1B Predator in May, according to an abbreviated accident investigation board report released Oct. 19. The Predator, assigned to the 11th Reconnaissance Squadron at Creech AFB, Nev., was doing launch and recovery operations at the base when it crashed on May 1. No one was injured and no private property was damaged, but the remotely piloted aircraft was significantly damaged with estimated losses at $4.5 million. The crash happened after the turbocharger seized, preventing the Predator from gaining altitude and clearing terrain along the flight path, according to the report. The turbocharger failed because of a malfunctioning turbocharger lubrication system, the report found.
NASA Boss: Race to Moon Has National Security Stakes
Sept. 15, 2026
NASA is pushing hard to get astronauts back to the moon by 2028—and the urgency is driven in no small part by the national security implications of doing so before China does, Administrator Jared Isaacman said Sept. 15.
