RE: lawn darted brand new 50cc
Sorry to hear of your loss(es) andizzle. Even if you could pinpoint the actual issue you will always have that doubt in the back of your mind as to the radios reliability. IMHO You are making the right choice to replace it if for no other reason than peace of mind.
A couple of questions
Did the plane have an optical kill switch of any type? If so, Which one?
What batteries were you using?
What servos were you using?
Was this the first flight of the day or how many flights had it done before that on the day?
The reason I am asking is that a buddy of mine has had a similar experience as yours and is doing some research. It seems all may not be perfect in the A9 world.
I had a similar problem as you experienced (not with a Hitec - another of the "top 3" brands) and to this day, I can not consider using that particular radio. I also changed to the mighty Futaba and have not had the slightest issue since.