A Boeing A160T unmanned helicopter, dubbed YMQ-18A by the US Special Operations Command (SOCOM), has crashed while undergoing foliage penetrating radar tests in the Central American country of Belize.
The aircraft, owned by SOCOM but operated by Boeing contractors, reportedly lost tail rotor authority on approach to landing and crashed on the edge of a clearing. There was no fire and nobody was injured in the crash.
A statement from SOCOM said the trial would be ended but that 90 to 95 per cent of the demonstration’s test objectives had already been met during 90 hours of flight time in 28 flights.
The Belize crash follows the loss of another A160T in California in July.
