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Incident · Malfunction

MQ-9 Reaper crashed into Mediterranean Sea after propeller decoupled mid-flight

An MQ-9A Reaper worth $13 million crashed into the Mediterranean Sea on December 16, 2024, after its propeller decoupled from the engine due to failure of a spiral lock ring inside the gearbox. The aircraft was operated by the 20th Attack Squadron from Whiteman AFB, taking off from a U.S.

European Command location. The crew declared an emergency and ditched the aircraft in the water. The drone was unrecoverable.

Occurred 2024-12-16 · MQ-9 Reaper · General Atomics · Drones

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Sources (1)

  1. Broken propeller caused $13M military Reaper drone to crash into sea · https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2025/08/14/lost-propeller-caused-13m-military-reaper-drone-to-crash-into-sea/ · 2025-08-14

Common questions

What happened in MQ-9 Reaper crashed into Mediterranean Sea after propeller decoupled mid-flight?
An MQ-9A Reaper worth $13 million crashed into the Mediterranean Sea on December 16, 2024, after its propeller decoupled from the engine due to failure of a spiral lock ring inside the gearbox. The aircraft was operated by the 20th Attack Squadron from Whiteman AFB, taking off from a U.S. European Command location. The crew declared an emergency and ditched the aircraft in the water. The drone was unrecoverable.
When did this incident occur?
The incident is recorded as occurring on December 16, 2024 on the DEPLOY registry. The date reflects the underlying real-world event, not the registry record's creation date.
What robot was involved in MQ-9 Reaper crashed into Mediterranean Sea after propeller decoupled mid-flight?
MQ-9 Reaper is the recorded robot involved in this incident.
Has anyone responded to MQ-9 Reaper crashed into Mediterranean Sea after propeller decoupled mid-flight?
No responses to this incident are recorded on the DEPLOY registry. Operators, manufacturers, or affected parties can submit responses to the editorial team; absence is not a guarantee no response was issued.
What is the current status of MQ-9 Reaper crashed into Mediterranean Sea after propeller decoupled mid-flight?
This incident is an active record on the DEPLOY registry; no retraction or correction has been issued.
Methodology: Verified · 1 source (no primary) · last reviewed 2026-08-09

Verification posture

Verified

Low confidence

Review state

Stable

Last reviewed 2026-08-09

Sources by quality tier

1
unclassified
Unclassified source

The framework is documented at /methodology. Corrections at /corrections. Reviewer: DEPLOY editorial team.

Methodology surface for MQ-9 Reaper crashed into Mediterranean Sea after propeller decoupled mid-flight.

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Canonical ID 9e5f2c7c-4278-4ca5-8a69-48dffb60482f