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| Date: | Wednesday 9 April 2008 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper |
| Owner/operator: | Royal Air Force - RAF |
| Registration: | ZZ200 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Southern Afghanistan -
 Afghanistan
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | |
On 9 April 2008, a Royal Air Force MQ-9A Reaper of No. 39 Squadron crashed in Southern Afghanistan following an engine failure. The crash site was secured by Special Forces of the Special Boat Service (SBS) before being destroyed by a Royal Air Force Harrier jet.
The British Ministry of Defence issued a statement confirming the loss of the aircraft:
"We can confirm that on 9 April 2008, a Reaper Unmanned Air Vehicle made a forced landing whilst on an operation over a remote unpopulated area of southern Afghanistan. Sensitive items were recovered and the remaining wreckage was destroyed. The reason for the forced landing is under investigation, however mechanical issues are suspected. We cannot comment on the cost of a single Reaper for commercial reasons. However, this platform should cost less than £10m to replace."
Sources:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7439825.stm
https://www.theregister.com/2008/04/23/reaper_crash_afghanistan/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 07-Dec-2024 08:56 | Anon. | Added |
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