20241230020469I

Incident · Minor damage

FAA incident report · Aircraft · Pollock Pines, CA · December 30, 2024

Date: December 30, 2024 · 16:45 local
Place: Pollock Pines, CA
Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
Damage: Minor damage
Aircraft: NONE
People aboard: 1
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 1

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.

Pilot did a visual check of the area and selected a launch/landing site away from parked vehicles and entrance T0 building. The area was not well lit. Pilot was standing approximately ten (10') feet from the launch site. There was no vo present, as all other available deputies were engaged in the service call. Upon launching the UAS, pilot attempted to climb the UAS to a height of approximately 20' AGL to conduct test of the flight controls. While doing so, the pilot heard the sound of the UAS striking an unknown object. The UAS then decended and struck the pilot. The UAS was later determined to have struck branch ends of a birch tree, and resulted in damage to one or more of the propeller blades of the UAS.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT DID A VISUAL CHECK OF THE AREA AND SELECTED A LAUNCH/LANDING SITE AWAY FROM PARKED VEHICLES AND ENTRANCE T0 BUILDING. THE AREA WAS NOT WELL LIT. PILOT WAS STANDING APPROXIMATELY TEN (10') FEET FROM THE LAUNCH SITE. THERE WAS NO VO PRESENT, AS ALL OTHER AVAILABLE DEPUTIES WERE ENGAGED IN THE SERVICE CALL. UPON LAUNCHING THE UAS, PILOT ATTEMPTED TO CLIMB THE UAS TO A HEIGHT OF APPROXIMATELY 20' AGL TO CONDUCT TEST OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS. WHILE DOING SO, THE PILOT HEARD THE SOUND OF THE UAS STRIKING AN UNKNOWN OBJECT. THE UAS THEN DECENDED AND STRUCK THE PILOT. THE UAS WAS LATER DETERMINED TO HAVE STRUCK BRANCH ENDS OF A BIRCH TREE, AND RESULTED IN DAMAGE TO ONE OR MORE OF THE PROPELLER BLADES OF THE UAS.