20241221018901A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Aircraft · Orlando, FL · December 21, 2024

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal NTSB investigation search

Date: December 21, 2024 · 18:30 local
Place: Orlando, FL
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Collision: Midair collision
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: NONE
People aboard: 4
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 3

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On December 21, 2024, at approximately 18:30 (EST), at lake eola, Orlando, Florida, located in controlled class d airspace; during a drone light show consisting of 498 small unmanned aircrafts, the remote pilot in command lost control of 43 drones during the take off phase of flight. This resulted in several drones falling into the lake and the injury of 3 spectators. One of the three spectator’s sustained serious injuries. The waiver number 107W-2024-02478 is associated with this drone light show.

As the FAA filed it

ON DECEMBER 21, 2024, AT APPROXIMATELY 18:30 (EST), AT LAKE EOLA, ORLANDO, FLORIDA, LOCATED IN CONTROLLED CLASS D AIRSPACE; DURING A DRONE LIGHT SHOW CONSISTING OF 498 SMALL UNMANNED AIRCRAFTS, THE REMOTE PILOT IN COMMAND LOST CONTROL OF 43 DRONES DURING THE TAKE OFF PHASE OF FLIGHT. THIS RESULTED IN SEVERAL DRONES FALLING INTO THE LAKE AND THE INJURY OF 3 SPECTATORS. ONE OF THE THREE SPECTATOR’S SUSTAINED SERIOUS INJURIES. THE WAIVER NUMBER 107W-2024-02478 IS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS DRONE LIGHT SHOW.