Operator error caused the 25 April crash of the US Customs and Border Patrol’s first General Atomics Predator B unmanned air vehicle, according to preliminary information from the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

A failure to follow procedure when transferring control between operator stations caused the UAV’s engine to shut down, and the Predator crashed near Nogales, Arizona.

The mistake occurred when the pilot’s operator console “locked up”, and he switched control to the payload operator’s console. The checklist requires the pilot to match the control positions on the new console to those on the station that had been controlling the UAV. The pilot failed to do this, says the NTSB.

Source and more information: Flight International