# Accident 20210402003119A: Spangle, WA, April 2, 2021

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 2, 2021, 12:05 local time
- Place: Spangle, WA
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Maneuver
- Location: 47.4299° N, 117.3812° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Spangle, WA, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=47.4299&lon=-117.3812&mi=10
- Aircraft: NONE (not matched to a registry record)
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 500 total, 30 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20210402003119A

## Narrative

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

BLOCK 13: UA REG #-FA3PC3499C;

UA M/M/S DJI/L1P/1633G5H;

YEAR OF MANUFACTURE:UNKNOWN

REMOTE PILOT CERTIFICATE #-^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^; FREQUENCY USED-2.4 GHZ/5.2 GHZ

04/14/2021: CONDUCTED AN INTERVIEW WITH THE PILOT BY PHONE.  THE PILOT RESPONDED TO ASI?S EMAIL BY CALLING BACK LATER THAT MORNING.  THE PILOT WAS BRIEFED ON THE PILOT?S BILL OF RIGHTS AND THE FAA?S COMPLIANCE PROGRAM (PBR/CP).  THE ASI FOLLOWED UP BY EMAIING AN ELECTRONIC COPY OF THE PBR/CP BROCHURE TO THE PILOT.

NARRATIVE: THE PILOT STATED THE INCIDENT OCCURRED ON THE LAST PHOTO SHOOT OF THE DAY.  THE PLAN WAS TO CONDUCT A PHOTO-FLYBY OF A BUS TO CAPTURE THE MOUNTAIN SCENE IN THE BACKGROUND.  A PRACTICE RUN WAS MADE PRIOR TO CONDUCTING THE ACTUAL PHOTO SHOOT.  AFTER THE PRACTICE RUN, THE PILOT WAS REPOSITIONING THE UAS FOR THE PHOTO SHOOT.  AS THE UAS APPROACHED THE FRONT OF THE BUS, THE WIND CHANGED, POSSIBLY IN A VORTEX MOTION AND CAUSED THE PILOT TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE UAS AND THE UAS  STRUCK THE BUS.  THE UAS ROTORS CONTINUED SPINNING AS IT DESCENDED TO THE GROUND, CAUSING SCRAPING DAMAGE DOWN THE SIDE OF THE BUS.

THE PILOT STATED HE KNEW THE WINDS WERE GUSTING BUT DID NOT ANTICIPATE SUCH AN EFFECT FROM THE WIND COMING OFF THE FRONT OF THE BUS.  THE PILOT OBSERVED THE UAS WAS MORE STABLE AT HIGHER ALTITUDES THAN WHEN OPERATING CLOSER TO THE GROUND (BELOW 20' AGL).

THE PILOT HAS FILED AN INSURANCE CLAIM FOR THE DAMAGE TO THE BUS AND IS WAITING FOR THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER TO DETERMINE IF THE $500 OF DAMAGE THRESHOLD WAS MET.

NOTE: PER 49 CFR PART 830,  THE NTSB WAS NOT INVOLVED WITH THIS INCIDENT AS THE UAS? MAX GROSS WEIGHT IS UNDER 300 POUNDS AND THE PROPERTY DAMAGE IS LESS THAN $25,000.

THE INVESTIGATION DETERMINED NO REGULATORY VIOLATION OCCURRED AND NO FURTHER ACTION IS RECOMMENDED.

INVESTIGATION #: ANM1320210002

SAS TASK#: T-NM13-FY21-0228

SAS AR: NM13202102419

## 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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