Independent report

AAIB Record-only UAS investigations reviewed: August - September 2020

Published 12 November 2020

Event Date	UAS Type	Location Name	Record Only Occurrence Text
23 May 2020	Sky Mantis	Machen, Caerphilly	At the end of a task the UA pitched backwards and halted, then continued momentarily for a couple of seconds, before spiralling to the ground. The manufacturer determined that the cause was software related. A software update has been embodied fleet wide to prevent reoccurrence.
24 May 2020	Parrot Anafi	Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan	During a training flight the pilot engaged the UAS’s ‘Follow Me’ mode to track a colleague in an open grass area. The pilot intended to press the ‘Anti-clockwise Orbit’ button to avoid a building, but accidentally hit the adjacent ‘Clockwise Orbit’ button. The pilot realised his error and took manual control, but within seconds the UA collided with a wall.
02 Jun 2020	Prion MK3-008	Sutton Meadows Airfield, Cambridgeshire	On a flight check of the UAS, the operator could not conduct a normal landing due to an inability to sufficiently reduce engine speed to idle. The engine was shut down and the aircraft glided to land in an agricultural field in which it sustained considerable damage. An inlet manifold cylinder head gasket leak was determined as the primary cause of the heightened idle RPM.
08 Jun 2020	DJI Inspire 2	Thorpe Park, Surrey	When about 250 to 300 m from the pilot and at 10 m agl, whilst tracking a motorboat on a lake, the UA experienced a loss of control signal. Despite the UA being pre-programmed to hover in this situation, it maintained its heading, collided with a tree and entered the lake. It was subsequently recovered with damage to the airframe, two propellers and the gimbal.
03 Jul 2020	DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise Dual	Halesowen, West Midlands	The UAS lost control and landed on the ground in a built up area. The rotor blades of the UAS were damaged.
09 Jul 2020	Parrot Anafi Thermal	Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire	After pre-flight checks had been completed and the propellers confirmed as secure, the UA subsequently lost control in flight, probably due to the loss of a propeller in flight.
12 Jul 2020	DJI Phantom 4	Boston, Lincolnshire	During a flight to survey a road junction the UAS battery level dropped to zero and the UA fell to the ground. A pre-flight risk assessment by the pilot ensured no one was in the vicinity of the UAS during the flight. The UAS was damaged beyond economical repair.
17 Jul 2020	DJI Inspire 2	Immingham, South Humberside	As the UA was approaching overhead power lines, on an automated flight plan, the pilot observed one of the rotor blades separate from the aircraft and the aircraft dropped to the ground. The UAS operator has since revised its risk assessment and increased the operating height to take account of potential obstacles
24 Jul 2020	Yuneec Typhoon H520	Waterlooville, Hampshire	At a height of 65 m over a congested area, the UA lost power and fell to the ground, there were no injuries. The UK agent attributed the cause of the power loss to the battery moving in its holder disrupting the electrical connection. An additional clamp has been developed to better secure the battery.
28 Jul 2020	DJI Phantom 4	Drakelow, Derbyshire	The UAS lost GPS and compass signals immediately after takeoff and drifted into an electrical sub-station. The operator was unable to take manual control in time to prevent the UA from striking the base of a high voltage pylon.
03 Aug 2020	Parrot Anafi	Preston, Lancashire	The operator received a lost connection warning on his controller when the UA was at low level just above a copse of trees. He lost sight of the UA and it was subsequently found amongst the trees. It has a Return to Home function which operates on loss of connection but, as it was low over the trees, it is likely the UA hit a tree during an attempted return.
07 Aug 2020	DJI Matrice 210 V2 RTK	South Arne Wellhead Platforms East, North Sea	The UA struck a steel column shortly after takeoff in GPS mode, due to an uncommanded movement. The operator did not take manual control in time to prevent the rotors contacting the column, and the UAS fell approximately 1.5 m to the floor, causing damage to the landing gear and rotors.
10 Aug 2020	DJI M210 RKT	Gannet Platform, North Sea	During a visual inspection of the gas flare structure, the UA became unresponsive and flew into the steel structure. The UAS was recovered but no faults could be found.
21 Aug 2020	DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual	Hulme, Manchester	The UA struck a tree in gusty conditions, and fell 10 ft to the ground suffering internal damage as well as damage to a rotor arm.
27 Aug 2020	DJI Phantom	Margate, Kent	The UA suffered a bird strike to the propellers during flight causing the UA to fall to the ground.
27 Aug 2020	DJI Matrice 600 Pro	Broxbourne, Hertfordshire	The UA suffered a hard landing and came to rest inverted. The propellers remained turning until they were manually powered off.
31 Aug 2020	DJI Phantom 4	Luskentyre Beach, Isle of Harris	The UA was being flown back to the operator into a head wind of approximately 20 mph. To increase progress, the operator selected Speed mode and the UA was seen to ‘flip’ and fall from the sky. The UA was badly damaged.
06 Sep 2020	Mavic Pro 1	Caversham Lakes, Reading, Berkshire	The UAS lost connection with the controller, and is believed to have landed in a lake.
09 Sep 2020	Wingcopter 178 Heavy lift 0037	Compton, near Newbury, Berkshire	The operator was conducting a manual training flight to build currency hours. While transitioning between fixed wing to hover mode the controller lost control and the UAS struck the ground.
11 Sep 2020	DJI Matrice 210	Ipswich, Suffolk	The UA collided with tree branches on takeoff, damaging the propellers and causing the UAS to fall and strike a car roof. No contributing factors were reported.
13 Sep 2020	DJI Matrice 210 V2	Bath Racecourse	At then end of an otherwise normal flight the UA fell onto grass from 21 ft causing substantial damage. No complicating factors were reported
18 Sep 2020	Mavic Pro	Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire	The UAS reported compass and Inertial Measurement Unit errors, and drifted off course. It struck a tree and fell to the ground. It could not be located.
22 Sep 2020	DJI Phantom 3 Pro	Bradwell Power Station, Essex	The UAS lost datalink whilst carrying out a structural inspection, probably due to interference from the structure. The UA came into contact with the structure damaging the UA.
29 Sep 2020	DJI Phantom 4 Pro	Bristol Docks	The UA flew into a crane after the operator inadvertently pressed the Return to Home Button.