What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On September 1, 2024, at 1438 local time, a 135 UAS only operator was conducting a planned delivery to a customer and during the deployment of package, the package parachute deployment malfunctioned. The incident occurred within uncontrolled class g airspace at the customer's location. The resulting failure to create appropriate drag allowed the package to exceed the planned intended point of delivery by ~2M. Subsequently, the package impacted a neighboring third party vehicle, damaging the windscreen (total damage amount of unknown).
The delivery approach direction was such that the package's momentum caused it to travel onto the common roadway after delivery and the “delivery area clear” was insufficient to avoid the impact of third-party property with the delivery package during operations. The customer's acceptance of terms of service, requiring active delivery area clear (dac) participation through the delivery phase of flight, was not complied with by the customer.
The cause of the incident has been identified as an operational factor involving the deployment of the parachute, not a malfunction of the unmanned aircraft system.
As the FAA filed it
ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2024, AT 1438 LOCAL TIME, A 135 UAS ONLY OPERATOR WAS CONDUCTING A PLANNED DELIVERY TO A CUSTOMER AND DURING THE DEPLOYMENT OF PACKAGE, THE PACKAGE PARACHUTE DEPLOYMENT MALFUNCTIONED. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED WITHIN UNCONTROLLED CLASS G AIRSPACE AT THE CUSTOMER'S LOCATION. THE RESULTING FAILURE TO CREATE APPROPRIATE DRAG ALLOWED THE PACKAGE TO EXCEED THE PLANNED INTENDED POINT OF DELIVERY BY ~2M. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE PACKAGE IMPACTED A NEIGHBORING THIRD PARTY VEHICLE, DAMAGING THE WINDSCREEN (TOTAL DAMAGE AMOUNT OF UNKNOWN).
THE DELIVERY APPROACH DIRECTION WAS SUCH THAT THE PACKAGE'S MOMENTUM CAUSED IT TO TRAVEL ONTO THE COMMON ROADWAY AFTER DELIVERY AND THE “DELIVERY AREA CLEAR” WAS INSUFFICIENT TO AVOID THE IMPACT OF THIRD-PARTY PROPERTY WITH THE DELIVERY PACKAGE DURING OPERATIONS. THE CUSTOMER'S ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS OF SERVICE, REQUIRING ACTIVE DELIVERY AREA CLEAR (DAC) PARTICIPATION THROUGH THE DELIVERY PHASE OF FLIGHT, WAS NOT COMPLIED WITH BY THE CUSTOMER.
THE CAUSE OF THE INCIDENT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS AN OPERATIONAL FACTOR INVOLVING THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE PARACHUTE, NOT A MALFUNCTION OF THE UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM.