Independent report

AAIB Record-only investigations reviewed: April - May 2024

Published 11 July 2024

This section provides details of accidents and incidents which were not subject to a Field or full Correspondence Investigation. They are wholly, or largely, based on information provided by the aircraft commander at the time of reporting and in some cases additional information from other sources. The accuracy of the information provided cannot be assured.

Event date	Aircraft Type	Location Name	Record Only Occurrence Text
2 Mar 2024	UAS BFD Systems GD-40	Belfast	The 25 kg UAS was conducting a pre-planned commercial filming flight on a closed film set. A ‘drone safety briefing’ had been given to relevant cast and crew members and a defined ‘lock off’ area for the operation was cleared of personnel before the aircraft launched. Shortly after takeoff, the UA stopped responding to command inputs, and at approximately 5 m agl, flew out of the lock off area before colliding with part of the film set. After the collision the UA dropped to the ground, striking a film crew member as it fell, causing minor bruising to their leg. The pilot opined that in future he would consider restricting operations on busy film sets to sub 4 kg aircraft.
20 Mar 2024	UAS DJI M210	Redcar and Cleveland, North Yorkshire	Approximately 13 minutes into a site survey flight the UA moved sharply to the right and began to lose height; the controller display showed an Electronic Speed Control error. The UA fell rapidly before striking the ground.
17 Apr 2024	UAS DJI M300	Near Bolventor, Cornwall	The UAS was conducting a survey flight approximately 100 m from the remote pilot. It became unresponsive to control inputs and a propulsion failure message was generated. It flipped over and the payload detached, before the UA fell to the ground.
23 Apr 2024	UAS Evolve Dynamics Sky Mantis	The White Cliffs of Dover, Kent	The link to the UA was lost and the UA flew off, possibly into the sea, and was not recovered.
24 Apr 2024	UAS DJI Matrice 300	Near Mixbury, Oxfordshire	During a survey flight the remote pilot was notified of a connection issue with the payload. The pilot selected return to home and when the UA was about 30 m away the UA climbed vertically upwards with the engines at high speed. The pilot initiated emergency procedures, but the UA continued to climb for a “few minutes”. It then descended at an increased speed and struck the ground roughly 50 m from pilot. The UAS manufacturer determined that the accident was caused by a hardware malfunction that resulted in ‘abnormal vertical fusion’.
26 Apr 2024	UAS Titan	Draycot Aerodrome, Swindon	The UA took off and climbed to 90 m. It suddenly lost power to all drive units and fell to the ground.
4 May 2024	UAS MA Chris Foss Multiphase Glider	Mitchinhampton Common, Gloucestershire	The model glider, weighing 3.3 kg and with a 144 inch wingspan, was being flown from Minchinhampton Common when the wings failed. It was reported that as it fell to the ground, the glider narrowly missed some members of the public before it struck, and damaged, the rear window of a camper van.
10 May 2024	UAS XAG P40	Arundel, West Sussex	The UA was being used to spray plants in an industrial greenhouse. A rotor head and blades detached during a turn, and the UA struck the greenhouse.
13 May 2024	UAS DJI M30T	Armthorpe, South Yorkshire	The UA took off at night and struck some overhead cables. The cables were not spotted by the remote pilot.