A General Atomics YFQ-42A Collaborative Combat Aircraft prototype crashed shortly after takeoff from a company-owned airport in the California desert on April 6, 2026, marking the first known flight mishap for the US Air Force’s drone-wingman program.
The incident occurred at approximately 1 p.m. Pacific time at Gray Butte Airport near Palmdale. No injuries were reported. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems has paused flight test operations pending an investigation into the root cause. The company described the event as happening following takeoff but provided no further details, stating speculation would be premature.
Safety is our top priority, for our people and the public. In this case, established procedures and safeguards worked as intended, and there were no injuries, said company spokesman C. Mark Brinkley. The affected aircraft is one of at least three production-representative YFQ-42A airframes in testing during the CCA program’s technical maturation phase. General Atomics has not indicated if the airframe is recoverable.
Internally known as Dark Merlin, the YFQ-42A is one of two Increment 1 CCA designs competing for a planned Air Force fleet of over 1,000 autonomous wingmen. It achieved first flight in August 2025, 16 months after contract award in April 2024, with a second airframe flying late last year and a third revealed since. The drone derives from the XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station in the company’s modular Gambit family and integrates Collins Aerospace’s Sidekick autonomy software.
The crash occurs ahead of a fiscal year 2026 production decision for Increment 1. Competitor Anduril Industries’ YFQ-44A Fury completed its maiden flight in October 2025 and began production in March 2026. Flight tests will resume when deemed appropriate.