# Accident 20211010016181A: Palmer, AK, October 10, 2021

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: October 10, 2021, 13:20 local time
- Place: Palmer, AK
- Damage: Destroyed
- Collision: Midair collision
- Phase of flight: Maneuver
- Location: 61.5972° N, 149.1147° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Palmer, AK, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=61.5972&lon=-149.1147&mi=10
- Aircraft: NONE (not matched to a registry record)
- People aboard: 0
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20211010016181A

## Narrative

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

SEE HELICOPTER REPORT ATQA #AAL0322002 FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS.

ON OCTOBER 10, 2021 AT APPROXIMATELY 1320 AKDT, A DJI AIR 2S DRONE WITH AN FAA REGISTRATION NUMBER: ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ SERIAL NUMBER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, OPERATED BY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, TOOK OFF FROM A LOCATION ON THE SHORE OF A BODY OF WATER KNOWN LOCALLY AS "GLACIER LAKE". THE DRONE OPERATOR WAS A CUSTOMER OF AN ATV TOUR COMPANY AT THE KNIK GLACIER. THE MOTOR TOUR GROUP STOPPED AT A KNOWN STOPPING  LOCATION FOR CUSTOMERS TO TAKE PHOTOS AND EAT. THE DRONE OPERATOR  LAUNCHED THE DRONE FROM A LOCATION AT THE BOTTOM OF A 50 FOOT BLUFF NEXT TO THE WATER FOR THE PURPOSES OF TAKING PICTURES AND VIDEO OF A FAMILY EVENT. AFTER TAKEOFF, THE DRONE OPERATOR CLIMBED THE DRONE TO 94 FEET AGL AND FLEW THE DRONE OVER THE WATER ABOUT 200 FEET TO THE SOUTH. AT 1 MINUTE INTO THE FLIGHT, THE DRONE WAS AT 86.9 FEET AGL AND 194 FEET FROM THE TAKE-OFF POINT MOVING TOWARDS THE OPERATOR.  A HELICOPTER FLEW OVER A BLUFF FROM BEHIND AND TO THE LEFT THE DRONE OPERATOR. THE HELICOPTER EXECUTED A RIGHT APPROXIMATELY 180 DEGREE TURN OVER THE WATER AT 80 FEET AGL. ABOUT HALF WAY THROUGH THE TURN THE DRONE IMPACTED THE LEADING EDGE OF THE HELICOPTER MAIN ROTOR BLADE. THE DRONE WAS DISTROYED AND THE VEHICLE PARTS WERE LOST IN THE LAKE.

## 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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