# Accident 20231230020062A: Daytona Beach, FL, December 30, 2023

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 30, 2023, 14:00 local time
- Place: Daytona Beach, FL
- Airport: Daytona Beach International
- Damage: Destroyed
- Collision: Midair collision
- Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
- Location: 29.1799° N, 81.0580° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at DAYTONA BEACH INTL (DAB), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.1799&lon=-81.0580&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/20231230020062A

## Narrative

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

DECEMBER 30, 2023, 1400 LOCAL TIME; A HELICOPETER, R-44, RETURNING FROM AN AIR TOUR OPERATION, PART 91, WITH ONE PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS ON BOARD AND DURING THE APPROACH TO LANDING PHASE COLLIDED MID-AIR WITH AN UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE (UAV) DJI MAVIC 2 PRO, REGISTRATION # FA3XNWMRAN. THE MID-AIR COLLISION OCCURED INSIDE THE CLASS "C" AIRSPACE AT DAYTONA BEACH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (DAB) SW FROM FIELD CENTER BEARING 234°AND ~1.5NM DISTANCE OR APPROXIMATELY 29.16°N/81.08°W.  THE ALTITUDE AT TIME OF IMPACT...R-44 PILOT REPORTED 200' TO 300'; UAV PILOT REPORTED 180'. THE UAV IMPACTED THE R-44 ADVANCING ROTOR BLADE ON THE RIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT APPROXIMATELY 2/3RD DISTANCE FROM THE ROTOR SHAFT. THE PILOT FELT A LOW FREQUENCY VIBRATION AFTER THE IMPACT AND EXECUTED A NORMAL LANDING. NO POB INJURIES AND NO COLLATERAL DAMAGE TO THE R-44 BEYOND DAMAGE TO THE ROTOR BLADE.

THE UAV WAS DESTROYED, MOST OF THE UAV WREAKAGE WAS RECOVERED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE BATTERY AND CAMERA.

## Other aircraft in the event

- N828AK, Robinson Helicopter R44: [Accident 20231230020052A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20231230020052A)

## 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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