2025년 8월 31일 중동에서 손실된 MQ-9 추락의 원인은 피복이 벗겨진 전선

[위종민]

2025년 8월 31일 중동에서 엔진이 꺼져 추락한 MQ-9 리퍼의 가장 유력한 사고 원인은 3000시간 운용 후 실시된 엔진 교체 과정에서 연료제어장치 내부의 피복이 벗겨진 전선에서 누전이 발생해 연료차단 밸브가 닫힌 거라고 합니다. 엔진 교체 후 첫 비행이었고, MQ-9의 엔진 전체 교체는 일상정비 취급이라 드론 운영팀은 엔진이 교체됐다는 사실도 전달받지 못했다고 하네요. 

고도가 2천피트 아래로 내려가면서 lost contact됐다고 하는데, 위성이 아니라 LOS 통신으로 통제를 했던 걸까요? 

지난해 중동에서 MQ-9 손실, 원인은 피복 벗겨진 전선: 새 보고서

2026년 8월 20일 | 그레그 해들리

2022년 12월 11일 미 중부사령부 작전책임구역 내 비공개 장소에 있는 MQ-9 리퍼. 미 공군 사진, Daniel Asselta 기술하사

새로운 미 공군 조사보고서에 따르면, 지난해 8월 MQ-9 리퍼 드론 한 대가 치명적으로 손실된 사고는 피복이 벗겨진 전선에서 발생한 누설전압이 연료밸브를 차단하면서 일어났을 가능성이 높다.

2,360만 달러 상당의 이 항공기는 현장에서 파괴 처리됐다. 이 기체는 지난 18개월 동안 손실되거나 격추된 최소 40대의 MQ-9 가운데 하나다.

미 공군 전투사령부는 2025년 8월 31일 발생한 사고로부터 거의 1년이 지난 8월 13일 사고조사위원회 보고서를 공개했다. 사고의 정확한 위치는 공개되지 않았으며, 보고서는 사고가 미 중부사령부 작전책임구역에서 발생했다고만 밝혔다.

해당 MQ-9은 네바다주 크리치 공군기지의 제432비행단 소속이었으며, 조종사와 센서 운용요원은 사우스다코타주 엘스워스 공군기지의 제89공격비행대 소속이었다. 드론은 임무를 마치고 역내 기지로 귀환 중이었으며, 엔진이 꺼졌을 때 거의 19시간 동안 비행한 상태였다.

드론은 자동으로 두 차례 엔진 재시동을 시도했고, 승무원도 두 차례 수동 재시동을 시도했지만 리퍼는 결국 지상에 추락했다. 운용요원들은 기체를 보존하기 위해 최대한 부드럽게 착륙시키려 했으나 성공하지 못했다.

보고서에 따르면 승무원들은 인구밀집지역을 피하고 피해를 최소화하기 위한 여러 선택지를 검토한 뒤 “비교적 평탄하고 고립된” 사막 지역을 선택하고 랜딩기어를 내린 상태로 착륙을 시도했다. 그러나 기체가 고도 2,000피트 아래로 내려가면서 승무원은 기체와의 통신을 잃었다.

리퍼는 선택한 착륙지점 근처에 내려앉았지만, 보고서에 따르면 “충격의 힘으로 랜딩기어가 붕괴됐다.” 보고서는 이어 “착륙 이후 민감한 장비를 기체에서 제거했고, 남아 있던 잔해는 현장에서 폭파 처리됐다”고 밝혔다.

문제는 정기적인 3,000시간 엔진 점검의 일환으로 엔진을 교체한 뒤 실시한 첫 비행에서 발생했다. 이 점검 과정에서 계약업체 허니웰 직원들은 일반적인 마모를 넘어선 세 가지 문제를 발견했다.

* 프로펠러 거버너 케이블의 피복이 벗겨져 교체됐다.
* 연료제어장치의 기록카드가 없어 2025년 4월 정비를 마친 새 장치로 교체됐다.
* 압축기 씰에서 누유가 발생해 교체됐다.

특히 주목되는 점은, MQ-9 제조사 제너럴 아토믹스에 따르면 “FCU 센서 전선의 피복이 벗겨진 사례가 알려져 있었음에도” 점검 및 교체 절차에는 엔진으로 흐르는 연료량을 조절하는 연료제어장치 상부 덮개를 제거하는 과정이 포함돼 있지 않았다는 것이다. 허니웰 직원들은 다른 항공기를 정비하던 중 “릴레이 전선이 단락돼 스파크가 발생하는” 현상을 관찰한 적이 있다고 보고했다.

데이터 기록을 토대로 조사관들은 MQ-9 엔진의 연료 유량이 0으로 급락하기 직전 갑자기 치솟았다는 사실을 확인했다. 제너럴 아토믹스는 실험실에서 전기식 연료 차단밸브를 갑자기 닫는 방식으로 이 현상을 재현할 수 있었다.

이 시험 결과와 연료제어장치 내부 전선 피복 손상이라는 알려진 문제를 종합해, 조사관들은 이번 사고의 가장 가능성 높은 원인이 연료제어장치 내부의 피복이 벗겨진 전선에서 충분한 전압이 누설돼 연료 차단밸브가 닫힌 것이라고 결론내렸다.

위원회는 대부분의 미 공군 항공기는 엔진을 교체한 뒤 “항공기가 감항성을 갖추고 있는지 확인하고, 특히 엔진에 영향을 미치는 핵심 체계를 포함해 모든 체계의 비행 건전성을 시험하기 위해” 일정 형태의 점검비행을 실시해야 하지만, MQ-9 정비교범에는 이러한 요구사항이 없다고 지적했다.

또한 조사관들은 놀랍게도 MQ-9에서는 엔진 전체 교체가 “일상 정비”로 간주되며, 드론을 조종한 승무원들에게 자신들이 운용하는 항공기에 막 새 엔진이 장착됐다는 사실조차 통보되지 않았다는 점도 지적했다.

사고조사위원회는 부적절한 계획 및 브리핑과 불충분한 서면 기준을 사고와 관련된 “관련 요인”으로 지목했다.

MQ-9 Lost in Middle East Last Year Due to Chafed Wire: Report

An MQ-9 Reaper at an undisclosed location within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Dec. 11, 2022. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Daniel Asselta

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MQ-9 Lost in Middle East Last Year Due to Chafed Wire: New Report

Aug. 20, 2026 | By Greg Hadley

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A frayed wire likely triggered stray voltage to shut off a fuel valve, causing the catastrophic loss of an MQ-9 Reaper drone last August, according to a new Air Force investigation report.

The aircraft, valued at $23.6 million, was destroyed in place. It is among at least 40 MQ-9s lost or shot down over the past 18 months.

Air Combat Command released the Accident Investigation Board report on Aug. 13, nearly a year after the Aug. 31, 2025, mishap. The exact location of the mishap was not disclosed—the report said only that it took place in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.

The MQ-9 belonged to the 432nd Wing at Creech Air Force Base, Nev., while the pilot and sensor operator were from the 89th Attack Squadron at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D. The drone was returning from a mission to its base in the region and had been in the air nearly 19 hours when the engine shut off.

The drone automatically attempted to restart the twice, and the crew tried two manual restarts as well before the Reaper crashed to the ground. Operators tried for a soft landing to preserve the aircraft but were not successful.

After sorting through several options to avoid population centers and minimize damage, the crew selected a “relatively flat and isolated” piece of desert and tried to go in with the landing gear down, according to the report. But the crew lost contact with the aircraft as it descended below 2,000 feet.

The Reaper landed near the selected landing area, but “the force of the impact caused its landing gear to collapse,” according to the report. “Following the landing, sensitive equipment was removed from the [aircraft] and the remaining wreckage was demolished on site.”

The problem occurred on the aircraft’s first flight after its engine was replaced as part of a routine 3,000-hour engine inspection. During that inspection, personnel from contractor Honeywell noted three issues beyond normal wear:

• The propeller governor cable was chafed and replaced
• The fuel control unit was replaced with a new unit overhauled in April 2025, due to a missing log card
• The compressor seal was leaking and replaced

Notably, the inspection and replacement routine did not include removing the top cover from the fuel control unit, which regulates the flow of fuel to the engine—despite “known examples of the FCU sensor wire chafing,” according to MQ-9 manufacturer General Atomics. Honeywell personnel reported they had observed “a relay wire shorting and sparking” while servicing a different aircraft.

Based on data logs, investigators determined the MQ-9 engine experienced a spike in fuel flow just before plummeting to zero. General Atomics was able to recreate that sequence in its lab by suddenly closing the electrical fuel shutoff valve.

Those tests, combined with the known issue of the wires chafing inside the fuel control unit, led investigators to conclude the most likely explanation for the mishap was that a frayed wire inside the fuel control unit leaked enough voltage to trigger the fuel shutoff valve to close.

The board noted that while most U.S. Air Force aircraft are required to undergo some sort of check flight after their engine is replaced “to ensure the aircraft is airworthy and to test the flight integrity of all systems, particularly critical systems like those affecting engines,” the MQ-9 maintenance manual has no such requirement, the board said.

What’s more, investigators noted with surprise that a complete engine change is considered “routine maintenance” on MQ-9s, and that the crew controlling the drone was never informed that their aircraft had just received an entirely new engine.

The Accident Investigation Board cited inadequate planning and briefing and inadequate written standards as “relevant factors” in the mishap.

MQ-9 Losses

The MQ-9 mishap occurred during a relative lull in operations in the Middle East. Just months earlier, from March to May 2025, Operation Rough Rider sought to halt attacks on commercial shipping by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Houthis downed about a half dozen MQ-9s during that stretch using electro-optical/infrared surface-to-air missile systems, Air & Space Forces Magazine previously reported.

At least two dozen MQ-9s were subsequently lost during Operation Epic Fury against Iran starting in late February, some to air defense missiles and some struck on the ground.

By May, after a brief ceasefire took hold, the Air Force was down around 30 Reapers, Air & Space Forces Magazine reported. Hostilities began again in earnest by July, and the Washington Post reported last week that “at least 45” MQ-9s have been destroyed.

The Air Force reported having 230 MQ-9s in its inventory at the start of fiscal 2025; one year later, it had just 182. In May, Lt. Gen. David Tabor, Air Force deputy chief of staff for plans and programs, said the fleet was down to around 135 aircraft.

Air Force officials have praised the performance of the MQ-9 in the Iran conflict, saying it has accounted for many of the thousands of strikes conducted during the campaign and gathered valuable intelligence. Some have also hinted that commanders have sometimes employed them in ways that put the drones at greater risk.

With the fleet shrinking, leaders are discussing how to replace the losses. Options include acquiring the few remaining MQ-9As from General Atomics, buying the larger MQ-9Bs now being built, or developing replacement platforms. Among the alternatives backed by some on the Air Staff is a project jointly pursued by the Defense Innovation Unit and the Air Force. The so-called “massed modular aircraft,” or MMA is conceived as an “attritable” aircraft whose loss is treated more like a munition than a aircraft. Vendors have offered proposals and an acquisition official said in July that one or competitors could be selected by the end of 2026.

Air

MQ-9 손실

이번 MQ-9 사고는 중동에서 작전이 비교적 소강상태였던 시기에 발생했다. 불과 몇 달 전인 2025년 3월부터 5월까지 Operation Rough Rider는 예멘의 이란 지원 후티 반군이 상선에 가하는 공격을 중단시키기 위해 실시됐다. Air & Space Forces Magazine의 이전 보도에 따르면, 이 기간 동안 후티는 전자광학/적외선 유도 지대공미사일 체계를 사용해 MQ-9 약 6대를 격추했다.

이후 2월 말 시작된 이란 상대 Operation Epic Fury에서는 최소 20여 대의 MQ-9이 추가로 손실됐다. 일부는 방공미사일에 격추됐고, 일부는 지상에서 공격받았다.

잠정적 휴전이 성립된 5월까지 미 공군은 약 30대의 리퍼를 잃은 상태였다고 Air & Space Forces Magazine은 보도했다. 7월이 되면서 교전은 다시 본격화됐고, 워싱턴포스트는 지난주 “최소 45대”의 MQ-9이 파괴됐다고 보도했다.

미 공군은 2025회계연도 시작 당시 MQ-9 230대를 보유하고 있다고 보고했지만, 1년 뒤에는 182대만 남아 있었다. 5월 미 공군 계획·프로그램 담당 참모차장 데이비드 테이버 중장은 기단 규모가 약 135대까지 줄었다고 밝혔다.

미 공군 관계자들은 이란 분쟁에서 MQ-9의 성과를 높이 평가하면서, 이 기체가 작전 중 실시된 수천 차례의 타격 가운데 상당수를 담당했고 귀중한 정보도 수집했다고 밝혔다. 일부 관계자들은 지휘관들이 때때로 드론을 더 큰 위험에 노출시키는 방식으로 운용했다는 점을 시사하기도 했다.

기단이 줄어들면서 지도부는 손실분을 어떻게 대체할지 논의하고 있다. 선택지에는 제너럴 아토믹스가 보유한 얼마 남지 않은 MQ-9A를 추가 구매하는 방안, 현재 생산 중인 더 큰 MQ-9B를 구매하는 방안, 또는 대체 플랫폼을 개발하는 방안이 포함된다.

공군참모부 일부가 지지하는 대안 가운데에는 국방혁신단과 미 공군이 공동으로 추진하는 사업도 있다. 이른바 “대량 모듈형 항공기(massed modular aircraft, MMA)”는 손실되더라도 일반 항공기보다 탄약과 비슷하게 취급되는 “소모 가능한(attritable)” 항공기로 구상되고 있다. 업체들은 이미 제안서를 제출했으며, 한 획득 담당자는 7월 경쟁업체 가운데 한 곳 이상이 2026년 말까지 선정될 수 있다고 밝혔다.

[백선호]

정비 교범에 이 내용이 추가되겠네요. 전선 피복 꼭 확인하라고.

[위종민]

연료제어장치 덮개도 벗겨서 전선 피복 벗겨졌는지 꼭 확인하라고 하겠네요. 정비사들 입장에선 귀찮은 절차가 ㅋㅋㅋ

[엽군]

아마 2,000ft로 떨어졌을 때 즈음에는 자세 제어도 안되게 뒤집어지는 상황같은 것들 벌어졌을 것이고, 그럼 BLOS 통신이라도 LOS 유지가 안되는 문제가 생길 수 있습니다. : )