US Navy (USN) Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Triton Made Emergency Belly Landing At Naval Base Ventura County
The UAV (UASs) sustained an in-flight problem during a test flight.
The engine was stopped midair and the pilot attempted to land the aircraft on a runway, the landing gear did not deploy. The plane made a belly landing. Damages are substantial. There were no injuries.
Cmdr. Dave Hecht said: “The Triton sustained significant damage and the landing was defined as a “Class A mishap,” an incident that results in a fatality or damage more than $2 million.”
The mishap occurred at approximately 2:45 PST and an investigation into the cause is already ongoing. The MQ-4C had been conducting a test flight when it experienced a mechanical issue, according to the Navy. The controllers at Point Mugu aborted the mission and attempted to bring the drone back to base.
According to U.S. Navy officials, the unmanned and unarmed maritime reconnaissance aircraft, an MQ-4C Triton, was on a test flight when it began to experience mechanical issues Wednesday.
The test flight was ended and the craft was flown back to the base.
However, upon approaching a runway for landing, the Triton’s landing gear failed to deploy, forcing the aircraft to perform a “belly landing,” skidding across the runway, according to base officials.
The Triton costs approximately $110 million, according to Theresa Miller, a base spokeswoman.
No injuries were reported. Hecht said the incident remains under investigation by the Navy.
