20210506008809A

Accident · Minor damage

FAA accident report · Aircraft · Young Harris, GA · May 6, 2021

Date
May 6, 2021 · 10:50 local
Place
Young Harris, GA
Phase of flight
Hover/Holding
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
NONE
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
Pilot’s flight hours
1,500 total90 in this make and model5 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.

A da-jiang innovations (dji) matrice 300 rtk small unmanned aircraft system (suas) was being demonstrated to a potential customer (public safety) under 14 CFR part 107. Demonstration flight. The payload consisted of a zenmuse H20T camera and a wingsland Z15 spot light. The flight location was very close to a dji geo zone designated as a "restricted zone". (County jail). There is a buffer zone around the restricted zone. A buffer zone is defined as an area with approximately 20M width outside of a restricted zone (nfz). The purpose of a nfz buffer zone is to account for estimation and control errors in order to avoid breaching the nfz when the aircraft has forward speed. When approaching the buffer zone, the aircraft will reduce speed and stop at the buffer zone border.

During demonstration flight the remote pilot in command (rpic) initiated the return to home feature and the suas stopped approximate 53 feet from the area where the suas launched from. Suas descent to 7 feet over a vehicle in the parking lot. Rpic handed the controller to a demonstration attendee and grabbed onto the landing gear with both hands and attempted to give commands to the attendee to shut down the motors while the rpic held onto the landing gear. When that did not work, the rpic attempted to remove the drone battery and the propeller blade struck his right hand. He was transported by ambulance for treatment and was released. He underwent surgery to repair nerve and tendon damage upon arrival to his home in Arizona.

Blk 13- manufacturer: dji, model: matrice 300 rtk. Serial number: 1ZNDH3L0010562 registration number: privacy data omitted. Issued: 07/13/2020 expires: 07/13/2023.

BLK-29-rpic had recurency training completed via the FAA safety team aviation learning center online course for part 107 small UAS recurrent training for part 61 pilots on April 6, 2021. Sales director for company stated that they are developing policy for the training and use of suas as a result of the accident. Before the accident, only required a practical test and a remote pilot certificate to fly for company.

Blk 31-pilot information hours reported are UAS hours. Total manned aircraft hours 1000. Zero manned aircraft hours in the last year and 90 days.

This report may be amended as new information comes in.

As the FAA filed it

A DA-JIANG INNOVATIONS (DJI) MATRICE 300 RTK SMALL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM (SUAS) WAS BEING DEMONSTRATED TO A POTENTIAL CUSTOMER (PUBLIC SAFETY) UNDER 14 CFR PART 107. DEMONSTRATION FLIGHT. THE PAYLOAD CONSISTED OF A ZENMUSE H20T CAMERA AND A WINGSLAND Z15 SPOT LIGHT. THE FLIGHT LOCATION WAS VERY CLOSE TO A DJI GEO ZONE DESIGNATED AS A "RESTRICTED ZONE". (COUNTY JAIL). THERE IS A BUFFER ZONE AROUND THE RESTRICTED ZONE. A BUFFER ZONE IS DEFINED AS AN AREA WITH APPROXIMATELY 20M WIDTH OUTSIDE OF A RESTRICTED ZONE (NFZ). THE PURPOSE OF A NFZ BUFFER ZONE IS TO ACCOUNT FOR ESTIMATION AND CONTROL ERRORS IN ORDER TO AVOID BREACHING THE NFZ WHEN THE AIRCRAFT HAS FORWARD SPEED. WHEN APPROACHING THE BUFFER ZONE, THE AIRCRAFT WILL REDUCE SPEED AND STOP AT THE BUFFER ZONE BORDER.

DURING DEMONSTRATION FLIGHT THE REMOTE PILOT IN COMMAND (RPIC) INITIATED THE RETURN TO HOME FEATURE AND THE SUAS STOPPED APPROXIMATE 53 FEET FROM THE AREA WHERE THE SUAS LAUNCHED FROM. SUAS DESCENT TO 7 FEET OVER A VEHICLE IN THE PARKING LOT. RPIC HANDED THE CONTROLLER TO A DEMONSTRATION ATTENDEE AND GRABBED ONTO THE LANDING GEAR WITH BOTH HANDS AND ATTEMPTED TO GIVE COMMANDS TO THE ATTENDEE TO SHUT DOWN THE MOTORS WHILE THE RPIC HELD ONTO THE LANDING GEAR. WHEN THAT DID NOT WORK, THE RPIC ATTEMPTED TO REMOVE THE DRONE BATTERY AND THE PROPELLER BLADE STRUCK HIS RIGHT HAND. HE WAS TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE FOR TREATMENT AND WAS RELEASED. HE UNDERWENT SURGERY TO REPAIR NERVE AND TENDON DAMAGE UPON ARRIVAL TO HIS HOME IN ARIZONA.

BLK 13- MANUFACTURER: DJI, MODEL: MATRICE 300 RTK. SERIAL NUMBER: 1ZNDH3L0010562 REGISTRATION NUMBER: ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ISSUED: 07/13/2020 EXPIRES: 07/13/2023.

BLK-29-RPIC HAD RECURENCY TRAINING COMPLETED VIA THE FAA SAFETY TEAM AVIATION LEARNING CENTER ONLINE COURSE FOR PART 107 SMALL UAS RECURRENT TRAINING FOR PART 61 PILOTS ON APRIL 6, 2021. SALES DIRECTOR FOR COMPANY STATED THAT THEY ARE DEVELOPING POLICY FOR THE TRAINING AND USE OF SUAS AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT. BEFORE THE ACCIDENT, ONLY REQUIRED A PRACTICAL TEST AND A REMOTE PILOT CERTIFICATE TO FLY FOR COMPANY.

BLK 31-PILOT INFORMATION HOURS REPORTED ARE UAS HOURS. TOTAL MANNED AIRCRAFT HOURS 1000. ZERO MANNED AIRCRAFT HOURS IN THE LAST YEAR AND 90 DAYS.

THIS REPORT MAY BE AMENDED AS NEW INFORMATION COMES IN.