A YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft test platform experienced a mishap following takeoff from a company-owned airport in the California desert on Monday at approximately 1pm Pacific.
No one was injured in the incident. Flight test operations have been paused temporarily in an abundance of caution.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) is assessing the condition of the aircraft and investigating to establish the root cause of the incident. At this early stage, it would be premature to speculate on the circumstances. As with any program, GA-ASI follows a disciplined investigation process to understand exactly what occurred, and has stated that its focus right now is on gathering data and ensuring the company learns from this event.
The aircraft is one of several production-representative YFQ-42A CCAs currently in the technical maturation and risk reduction phase of the program for the U.S. Air Force. The jets fly regularly at company-owned facilities as part of their operational test and evaluation program. These flight operations will resume when deemed appropriate.
C. Mark Brinkley, a company spokesman, said, “Safety is our top priority, for our people and the public. In this case, established procedures and safeguards worked as intended, and there were no injuries. We’re going to take a close look at what happened, gather all the data, and allow the investigation to guide us moving forward.”
