US Air Force drone makes emergency landing in Poland, no injuries reported

The aircraft's forced landing area was secured, and everything remained under control, assured Air Force Inspector Gen. Ireneusz Nowak on Tuesday. He discussed the emergency landing of the American MQ9 Reaper drone near Mirosławiec.

Just before midnight on Monday, the General Command of the Armed Forces reported that an American MQ9 Reaper drone, belonging to the US Air Force, had made an emergency landing near Mirosławiec (West Pomeranian Voivodeship), while conducting flights in Polish airspace. The command noted that the landing occurred as per procedures in a secure, uninhabited area.

Gen. Nowak shed light on the incident's details. "I'll be honest, both the command and especially the team at the 12th Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Base in Mirosławiec had quite a tense, sleepless night. This was due to losing control over the MQ9 Reaper drone during a training flight, necessitating what's known as a forced landing near the Mirosławiec airstrip," explained the general.

The drone was on a routine training mission, which is typically conducted quarterly. "Its task was to test and execute landing approaches at the Mirosławiec airstrip using the automatic takeoff and landing system. It had taken off from a base in Romania," Gen. Nowak informed, adding that after completing its mission in Poland, the aircraft was scheduled to return to Romania.

According to the inspector, the Polish team was notified about losing control over the drone around 12 p.m. Eastern Time.

"This incident triggered what's known as the 'lost link' procedure, which, in essence, means that the ground crew in Romania could no longer operate the drone. Attempts were made to transfer control to another station in Mińsk Mazowiecki, but these efforts were unsuccessful, leading to the decision to attempt a forced landing," the inspector detailed.

Every military airfield, including Mirosławiec, as Gen. Nowak explained, has an area designated for safe emergency landings on uninhabited land, such as dropping suspended fuel tanks or weaponry in case of an emergency. "This area extends roughly 6.2 by 6.2 miles, providing a sizable safe zone," he noted.

The Polish authorities had adequate time to prepare. "Once we knew about the loss of control, we had approximately 4.5 hours to make arrangements. Consequently, all necessary procedures were implemented," he stated, mentioning that the Military Gendarmerie, Police, Fire Department, and local government bodies had been alerted.

"The potential forced landing area for the aircraft was secured, ensuring it was uninhabited and posed no risk to people. Everything was under control," Gen. Nowak emphasized. He also pointed out that the MQ9 Reaper was not armed. "There was neither fuel nor weapons onboard, eliminating the risk of hazardous materials," he stressed.

Additionally, the inspector elaborated that the aircraft was circling in a right-hand pattern while transmitting a four-digit distress code from its transponder. "This notifies air traffic services and other aircraft to avoid and circumvent the area for safety reasons," Gen. Nowak said.

"Approximately 10 minutes before 11:00 p.m. Eastern Time, the drone used up its remaining fuel and, after gliding for about 10 minutes, it landed in the anticipated area. The drone was located around nine minutes post-landing, and the site was immediately secured," he summarized.

When asked about the incident's causes, he replied that the MQ9 Reaper is the property of the American military, who will be conducting the investigation, with support from Polish specialists. "All potential causes will be explored; while there's been speculation in the media about GPS signal interference, it appears at first glance not to be GPS-related, as the drone was still flying along a preplanned route, albeit autonomously and in backup mode," he added.

The Air Force Inspector did not dismiss the possibility that the incident might relate to the security situation at Poland's eastern border. "It's up to the experts to determine the cause, and we're not ruling anything out," underscored Gen. Nowak.

"This involves very advanced technology, but I also believe that our surrounding security situation may have played a role, which will, of course, be thoroughly investigated," he said.

In response to why control couldn't be regained by operators in Mińsk Mazowiecki, Gen. Nowak explained that "it's a technical matter that the American side will investigate." Regarding the drone's current operational status, he mentioned, "Following a forced emergency landing, it's common for the machine to sustain damage, hence the aircraft is damaged."