What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot was taking off (2-3 feet off the ground) when the drone began to lose directional control. All inputs from the remote controller (rc) were not responding. Pilot attempted to disarm the rotors by bringing both sticks on the rc down and in towards each other. The manufacturer (Apellix) stated that this was supposed to disarm the drone (this was not previously tested). After realizing the drone was not going to respond and that there were people in the vicinity of the campus, the pilot grabbed the drone and manually unpluged the battery, disarming the rotors. The pilot sustained multiple lacerations and wounds all over their body, in addition to reconstructive surgery on their pinky that resulted in losing the tip of their finger. The drone sustained substantial damage and was rendered unflyable.
As the FAA filed it
PILOT WAS TAKING OFF (2-3 FEET OFF THE GROUND) WHEN THE DRONE BEGAN TO LOSE DIRECTIONAL CONTROL. ALL INPUTS FROM THE REMOTE CONTROLLER (RC) WERE NOT RESPONDING. PILOT ATTEMPTED TO DISARM THE ROTORS BY BRINGING BOTH STICKS ON THE RC DOWN AND IN TOWARDS EACH OTHER. THE MANUFACTURER (APELLIX) STATED THAT THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO DISARM THE DRONE (THIS WAS NOT PREVIOUSLY TESTED). AFTER REALIZING THE DRONE WAS NOT GOING TO RESPOND AND THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE IN THE VICINITY OF THE CAMPUS, THE PILOT GRABBED THE DRONE AND MANUALLY UNPLUGED THE BATTERY, DISARMING THE ROTORS. THE PILOT SUSTAINED MULTIPLE LACERATIONS AND WOUNDS ALL OVER THEIR BODY, IN ADDITION TO RECONSTRUCTIVE SURGERY ON THEIR PINKY THAT RESULTED IN LOSING THE TIP OF THEIR FINGER. THE DRONE SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND WAS RENDERED UNFLYABLE.