# Incident 20240901016749I: Pea Ridge, AR, September 1, 2024

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 1, 2024, 14:38 local time
- Place: Pea Ridge, AR
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Maneuver
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: 1ZIA
- Location: 36.4467° N, 94.1208° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Pea Ridge, AR, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=36.4467&lon=-94.1208&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/20240901016749I

## Narrative

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

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.

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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