Griffon Aerospace

Incident Narrative

Two employees were engaged in launch and recovery operations for a remote piloted aerial system. The aircraft was launched and employees were preparing for the aircraft to touch down. The pilot of the vehicle (employee 1) and an additional external operator (employee 2), who was observing recovery operations, were both standing along the flight line. Wind conditions at the time were variable and gusty, contributing to the incident. As the aircraft touched down there was a slight bounce, during which the control surfaces were rendered ineffective, and a crosswind pushed the aircraft into employee 2. The right wing tip of the aircraft struck employee 2 just above the right ankle, which caused him to fall to the ground. This caused the aircraft to spin on the ground, and the tail of the aircraft struck employee 1 in the knees. Employee 1 sustained bruising and swelling on both knees and was treated and released. Employee 2 was hospitalized and underwent surgery for a broken right lower leg, a dislocated hip replacement, and back injuries.