# Accident 20190913024429A: Huntsville, AL, September 13, 2019

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 13, 2019, 12:00 local time
- Place: Huntsville, AL
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Climb
- Location: 34.7304° N, 86.5861° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Huntsville, AL, within about 9 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=34.7304&lon=-86.5861&mi=10
- Aircraft: NONE (not matched to a registry record)
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20190913024429A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

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.

## NTSB investigation

None matched to this report by aircraft and date. Search the NTSB's own records: https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-main-public/basic-search

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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