20170216008299A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Aircraft · New Orleans, LA · February 16, 2017

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: February 16, 2017 · 17:00 local
Place: New Orleans, LA
Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: NONE
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s flight hours: 40 total40 in this make and model40 in the last 90 days

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

While conducting video flight for smoothie king at the smoothie king center, New Orleans, LA, PIC lost signal to UAS using 2.4 ghz immediatly switched to 5.8GHZ but was unable to reconnect to UAS. UAS continued flight at orignal heading and alitude. PIC maintained los while attempting to reboot controller. UAS eventually made contact with verizon sign at the causing damage to both the sign and the UAS. PIC stated that spectrum analysis conducted by turner sports during that time period revealed that many devices were competing for bandwith on those two frequencies.

As the FAA filed it

WHILE CONDUCTING VIDEO FLIGHT FOR SMOOTHIE KING AT THE SMOOTHIE KING CENTER, NEW ORLEANS, LA, PIC LOST SIGNAL TO UAS USING 2.4 GHZ IMMEDIATLY SWITCHED TO 5.8GHZ BUT WAS UNABLE TO RECONNECT TO UAS. UAS CONTINUED FLIGHT AT ORIGNAL HEADING AND ALITUDE. PIC MAINTAINED LOS WHILE ATTEMPTING TO REBOOT CONTROLLER. UAS EVENTUALLY MADE CONTACT WITH VERIZON SIGN AT THE CAUSING DAMAGE TO BOTH THE SIGN AND THE UAS. PIC STATED THAT SPECTRUM ANALYSIS CONDUCTED BY TURNER SPORTS DURING THAT TIME PERIOD REVEALED THAT MANY DEVICES WERE COMPETING FOR BANDWITH ON THOSE TWO FREQUENCIES.