What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 29, 2021, blythe, CA. A skyfish M4 UAS (unmanned aerial system) registration # FA3MLNE4K9 lost power and struck a solar panel at the blythe solar power project, solar site. This UAS is a 12.4 pound drone with a mounted camera used mostly for photography and observation work. The property damage was greater than $500 dollars and therefore the incident was reported to the FAA drone zone as required per CFR 107.9. In the pilot?s report of the accident, privacy data omitted stated: (the rpic (me, pilot) and the vo (observer) were collecting repeated images of objects with a skyfish M4 multi-rotor UAS at a height of 18 meters AGL at a solar facility. After completing our pre-flight and take-off checklists, we began capturing images. A few minutes into the flight (our 5th flight that day with this UAS), approximately 30 meters away from our launch site, the motors suddenly stopped spinning and the UAS fell and struck a solar panel and a portion of another panel. There were no mission application warnings on the tablet prior to the loss of power leading us to suspect either a battery failure or power failure of some sort. The two lithium batteries that powered the UAS were disposed of in a lithium battery disposal bin on site given the fire hazard damaged lithium batteries present. The incident was immediately reported to the site manager and the panel section that incurred damage was turned off. Upon inspection of the UAS, skyfish (manufacturer) found that the right-side internal power connector (not the external battery connection where the pilots connect the battery), was melted with soot present indicating a short in the positive lead. The sudden loss of power in-air corresponds to the hypothesis that the internal connecter exhibiting soot lost connection to its negative lead during flight and caused a uas-wise loss of power and a surge of current into the logic pdb. No injuries occurred given our flight protocol (avoids flight over people.)
This UAS has been examined by the manufacturer and cause of the accident was determined as stated in the pilots report above. A loss of battery connection, in part due to a modified UAS from the factory that was being used while the operators drone was being repaired. In this event there was no apparent recovery the pilot could have made to avoid the power failure. This investigation in considered closed with no further action.
Sas id number: WP2120220167 task number: T-WP21-FY22-0091
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 29, 2021, BLYTHE, CA. A SKYFISH M4 UAS (UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEM) REGISTRATION # FA3MLNE4K9 LOST POWER AND STRUCK A SOLAR PANEL AT THE BLYTHE SOLAR POWER PROJECT, SOLAR SITE. THIS UAS IS A 12.4 POUND DRONE WITH A MOUNTED CAMERA USED MOSTLY FOR PHOTOGRAPHY AND OBSERVATION WORK. THE PROPERTY DAMAGE WAS GREATER THAN $500 DOLLARS AND THEREFORE THE INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO THE FAA DRONE ZONE AS REQUIRED PER CFR 107.9. IN THE PILOT?S REPORT OF THE ACCIDENT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ STATED: (THE RPIC (ME, PILOT) AND THE VO (OBSERVER) WERE COLLECTING REPEATED IMAGES OF OBJECTS WITH A SKYFISH M4 MULTI-ROTOR UAS AT A HEIGHT OF 18 METERS AGL AT A SOLAR FACILITY. AFTER COMPLETING OUR PRE-FLIGHT AND TAKE-OFF CHECKLISTS, WE BEGAN CAPTURING IMAGES. A FEW MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT (OUR 5TH FLIGHT THAT DAY WITH THIS UAS), APPROXIMATELY 30 METERS AWAY FROM OUR LAUNCH SITE, THE MOTORS SUDDENLY STOPPED SPINNING AND THE UAS FELL AND STRUCK A SOLAR PANEL AND A PORTION OF ANOTHER PANEL. THERE WERE NO MISSION APPLICATION WARNINGS ON THE TABLET PRIOR TO THE LOSS OF POWER LEADING US TO SUSPECT EITHER A BATTERY FAILURE OR POWER FAILURE OF SOME SORT. THE TWO LITHIUM BATTERIES THAT POWERED THE UAS WERE DISPOSED OF IN A LITHIUM BATTERY DISPOSAL BIN ON SITE GIVEN THE FIRE HAZARD DAMAGED LITHIUM BATTERIES PRESENT. THE INCIDENT WAS IMMEDIATELY REPORTED TO THE SITE MANAGER AND THE PANEL SECTION THAT INCURRED DAMAGE WAS TURNED OFF. UPON INSPECTION OF THE UAS, SKYFISH (MANUFACTURER) FOUND THAT THE RIGHT-SIDE INTERNAL POWER CONNECTOR (NOT THE EXTERNAL BATTERY CONNECTION WHERE THE PILOTS CONNECT THE BATTERY), WAS MELTED WITH SOOT PRESENT INDICATING A SHORT IN THE POSITIVE LEAD. THE SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER IN-AIR CORRESPONDS TO THE HYPOTHESIS THAT THE INTERNAL CONNECTER EXHIBITING SOOT LOST CONNECTION TO ITS NEGATIVE LEAD DURING FLIGHT AND CAUSED A UAS-WISE LOSS OF POWER AND A SURGE OF CURRENT INTO THE LOGIC PDB. NO INJURIES OCCURRED GIVEN OUR FLIGHT PROTOCOL (AVOIDS FLIGHT OVER PEOPLE.)
THIS UAS HAS BEEN EXAMINED BY THE MANUFACTURER AND CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WAS DETERMINED AS STATED IN THE PILOTS REPORT ABOVE. A LOSS OF BATTERY CONNECTION, IN PART DUE TO A MODIFIED UAS FROM THE FACTORY THAT WAS BEING USED WHILE THE OPERATORS DRONE WAS BEING REPAIRED. IN THIS EVENT THERE WAS NO APPARENT RECOVERY THE PILOT COULD HAVE MADE TO AVOID THE POWER FAILURE. THIS INVESTIGATION IN CONSIDERED CLOSED WITH NO FURTHER ACTION.
SAS ID NUMBER: WP2120220167 TASK NUMBER: T-WP21-FY22-0091