# Incident 20240826015929I: Ririe, ID, August 26, 2024

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: August 26, 2024, 09:20 local time
- Place: Ririe, ID
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 43.6325° N, 111.7717° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Ririe, ID, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.6325&lon=-111.7717&mi=10
- Aircraft: NONE (not matched to a registry record)
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240826015929I

## Narrative

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

ON THE MORNING OF AUGUST 15, 2024, AT 9:12 AM, A MISSION FLIGHT WAS INITIATED TO APPLY ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ FOR LARVICIDE TREATMENT USING THE PV35X DRONE(REGISTRATION: FA3AYFNAWC (ACTIVE)). AFTER AN INITIAL PASS, THE DRONE RETURNED FOR A REFILL, AND APPROXIMATELY 20 LBS OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WERE LOADED. BATTERIES WERE ALSO SWITCHED OUT, AND SYSTEM CHECKS WERE CONDUCTED, WITH THE OBSTACLE AVOIDANCE SYSTEM SET AT 45 FEET AND THE MISSION ALTITUDE AT 90 FEET.

DETAILS OF THE INCIDENT:

9:18 AM: SYSTEM CHECKS CONFIRMED THE OBSTACLE AVOIDANCE SYSTEM WAS ON, AND THE MISSION BEGAN IN AUTO FLIGHT MODE.

9:19 AM: AS THE DRONE APPROACHED TREES APPROXIMATELY 417 FEET AWAY, IT APPEARED TOO LOW, AND THE OBSTACLE AVOIDANCE SYSTEM FAILED TO ENGAGE. THE VISUAL OBSERVER NOTED THE DRONE'S LOW ALTITUDE, PROMPTING AN IMMEDIATE SWITCH TO BREAK FLIGHT MODE.

THE DRONE'S FRONT RIGHT PROPELLER CONTACTED A TOP CANOPY BRANCH. CONTROL WAS THEN SWITCHED TO LOITER FLIGHT MODE IN AN ATTEMPT TO AVOID FURTHER CONTACT WITH THE BRANCHES. DESPITE EFFORTS TO INCREASE ALTITUDE AND MOVE BACKWARD, THE LEFT MIDDLE PROPELLER STRUCK ANOTHER BRANCH, CAUSING THE DRONE TO TIP INTO THE TREE.

THE DRONE REMAINED STUCK ON THE TREE FOR 3-5 SECONDS BEFORE FALLING THROUGH THE TREE, LANDING ON A CAMPER'S SOLAR PANEL AND BOUNCING ONTO A NEARBY PICNIC TABLE.

POST-INCIDENT ACTIONS:

9:20 AM: THE INCIDENT SITE WAS ASSESSED, AND PHOTOS OF THE CRASH SITE AND DAMAGE WERE TAKEN. DAMAGE WAS OBSERVED TO THE CAMPER'S SOLAR PANEL, WITH NO ADDITIONAL SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE NOTED.

THE TEAM REMOVED THE DRONE AND CLEANED UP THE AREA.

9:40 AM: THE CAMPER ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WAS NOT PRESENT, SO CONTACT INFORMATION WAS LEFT AT THE SCENE, AND THE INCIDENT WAS REPORTED TO THE 7N RANCH OFFICE.

CONCLUSION: THE FAILURE OF THE OBSTACLE AVOIDANCE SYSTEM TO ENGAGE RESULTED IN THE DRONE'S PROXIMITY TO THE TREE, LEADING TO THE COLLISION AND SUBSEQUENT FALL. PROPER PRE-FLIGHT CHECKS AND SYSTEM VERIFICATION ARE CRITICAL TO PREVENTING SUCH INCIDENTS.

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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