20190913024429A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Aircraft · Huntsville, AL · September 13, 2019

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: September 13, 2019 · 12:00 local
Place: Huntsville, AL
Phase of flight: Climb
Damage: Destroyed
Aircraft: NONE
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0

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.

The phantom drone ascended to approximately 25 feet when the controller gave a "esc error" code combined with "max height reached". The drone remained in a hover mode. The UAS pilot stated the error code self-cleared. At that point, the drone continued to ascend and approximately 15 seconds later, the drone uncontrollably moved rapidly in one direction and began to lose altitude. The operator had no control over the movements. The drone collided with a parked, 2019 chevrolet malibu.

As the FAA filed it

THE PHANTOM DRONE ASCENDED TO APPROXIMATELY 25 FEET WHEN THE CONTROLLER GAVE A "ESC ERROR" CODE COMBINED WITH "MAX HEIGHT REACHED". THE DRONE REMAINED IN A HOVER MODE. THE UAS PILOT STATED THE ERROR CODE SELF-CLEARED. AT THAT POINT, THE DRONE CONTINUED TO ASCEND AND APPROXIMATELY 15 SECONDS LATER, THE DRONE UNCONTROLLABLY MOVED RAPIDLY IN ONE DIRECTION AND BEGAN TO LOSE ALTITUDE. THE OPERATOR HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE MOVEMENTS. THE DRONE COLLIDED WITH A PARKED, 2019 CHEVROLET MALIBU.