NASA Conducts First Otherworldly Aircraft Accident Investigation

Engineers believe they have identified the likely cause of the crash of the space agency’s Ingenuity Mars helicopter.

Wednesday, December 11, 2024 at 02:40 PM ET

Verified

NASA’s Ingenuity Mars helicopter rests on the sandy dunes of the Red Planet’s surface following a crash during its final flight in January. [Courtesy: NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory-Caltech/LANL/CNES/CNRS]

Key Takeaways:

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory conducted the first aircraft accident investigation on another world, examining the final flight of the *Ingenuity* Mars helicopter.
The *Ingenuity* helicopter vastly exceeded its initial mission goals, completing 72 flights over three years compared to its planned five experimental flights.
Engineers determined the helicopter crashed due to its visual navigation system malfunctioning over "featureless sand ripples," causing it to lose its bearings and impact the surface at high speed.
The data gathered from this extraterrestrial accident investigation is crucial for developing future Mars exploration technologies, including advanced avionics and larger potential Mars helicopters.

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The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and FAA oversee investigations of aircraft accidents in U.S. airspace. But what happens when a crash occurs hundreds of millions of miles away in outer space?

Engineers with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California and uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) manufacturer Aerovironment, a prominent aerospace and defense contractor, are conducting what the space agency on Wednesday said is the first aircraft accident investigation on another world. Personnel are examining the final flight of NASA’s Ingenuity Mars helicopter, which hurtled into the Red Planet’s surface and was retired in January.

Jack Daleo

Jack is a staff writer covering advanced air mobility, including everything from drones to unmanned aircraft systems to space travel—and a whole lot more. He spent close to two years reporting on drone delivery for FreightWaves, covering the biggest news and developments in the space and connecting with industry executives and experts. Jack is also a basketball aficionado, a frequent traveler and a lover of all things logistics.