What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Ua fa registration number: FA3FKX4KWL
Ua make, model, and serial number: dji mavic 3 cine, s/n 1581F4QZB21AR1AE00LF
Remote pilot in command (rpic) certificate:privacy data omitted
On 03/20/2025, remote rpic was flying their dji mavic 3 cine (FA3FKX4KWL) around the wells fargo tower in Minneapolis, MN when the drone collided with the ids center located across the street.
According to rpic, they took off from a 5th story rooftop to capture imagery of the privacy data omitted tower for commercial use. Rpic stated the flight began with capturing still images of the privacy data omitted tower and was completed without issues. Rpic stated they were operating the drone manually and within visual line of sight (vlos) throughout the operation.
Rpic put the drone into position to capture an orbiting shot of the tower. At the conclusion of the shot the rpic misjudged the aircraft’s distance to the ids center resulting in a low-speed collision with the ids center. Rpic stated that at the moment of impact they were observing the drone through the first-person view (fpv) on their controller. The drone was within line of sight, but the rpic was not physically watching the drone at the time of impact.
The drone fell to the roof of the ids center's crystal court. Rpic stated immediately following the collision they walked the perimeter of the ids center but observed no evidence of injury or damage. Rpic believed they saw damage when they returned to the ids center the next morning inside the crystal court. Rpic noticed a broken window near the location of the drone’s last known GPS position. Rpic documented the damage, sent it to their insurance provider, and reported the event to the FAA via faadronezone.
As time went on ids center management concluded that the damage was not caused by the drone and was actually caused by falling snow/ice earlier in the month. This means this would not be considered a reportable UAS safety event under 14 CFR 107.9.
It was determined through the course of the investigation that the drone the rpic used, dji mavic 3 cine, was improperly registered at the time of the incident. The drone was registered as a modelist when it should've been registered as a non-modelist. It was also determined that the rpic potentially operated their drone over people during the course of their operations. Rpic admitted to these facts during a meeting on 04/07/25.
It is our opinion that the rpic became disoriented during their operation when transitioning from visually watching the drone to fpv on their controller. It is also our opinion that the rpic has a safety conscious attitude about flying and this was merely an unfortunate accident. The rpic had done their due diligence in making sure the airspace was clear, and they were not operating in an area requiring a low altitude authorization and capability notification (laanc).
As the FAA filed it
UA FA REGISTRATION NUMBER: FA3FKX4KWL
UA MAKE, MODEL, AND SERIAL NUMBER: DJI MAVIC 3 CINE, S/N 1581F4QZB21AR1AE00LF
REMOTE PILOT IN COMMAND (RPIC) CERTIFICATE:^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
ON 03/20/2025, REMOTE RPIC WAS FLYING THEIR DJI MAVIC 3 CINE (FA3FKX4KWL) AROUND THE WELLS FARGO TOWER IN MINNEAPOLIS, MN WHEN THE DRONE COLLIDED WITH THE IDS CENTER LOCATED ACROSS THE STREET.
ACCORDING TO RPIC, THEY TOOK OFF FROM A 5TH STORY ROOFTOP TO CAPTURE IMAGERY OF THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TOWER FOR COMMERCIAL USE. RPIC STATED THE FLIGHT BEGAN WITH CAPTURING STILL IMAGES OF THE ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ TOWER AND WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT ISSUES. RPIC STATED THEY WERE OPERATING THE DRONE MANUALLY AND WITHIN VISUAL LINE OF SIGHT (VLOS) THROUGHOUT THE OPERATION.
RPIC PUT THE DRONE INTO POSITION TO CAPTURE AN ORBITING SHOT OF THE TOWER. AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE SHOT THE RPIC MISJUDGED THE AIRCRAFT’S DISTANCE TO THE IDS CENTER RESULTING IN A LOW-SPEED COLLISION WITH THE IDS CENTER. RPIC STATED THAT AT THE MOMENT OF IMPACT THEY WERE OBSERVING THE DRONE THROUGH THE FIRST-PERSON VIEW (FPV) ON THEIR CONTROLLER. THE DRONE WAS WITHIN LINE OF SIGHT, BUT THE RPIC WAS NOT PHYSICALLY WATCHING THE DRONE AT THE TIME OF IMPACT.
THE DRONE FELL TO THE ROOF OF THE IDS CENTER'S CRYSTAL COURT. RPIC STATED IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE COLLISION THEY WALKED THE PERIMETER OF THE IDS CENTER BUT OBSERVED NO EVIDENCE OF INJURY OR DAMAGE. RPIC BELIEVED THEY SAW DAMAGE WHEN THEY RETURNED TO THE IDS CENTER THE NEXT MORNING INSIDE THE CRYSTAL COURT. RPIC NOTICED A BROKEN WINDOW NEAR THE LOCATION OF THE DRONE’S LAST KNOWN GPS POSITION. RPIC DOCUMENTED THE DAMAGE, SENT IT TO THEIR INSURANCE PROVIDER, AND REPORTED THE EVENT TO THE FAA VIA FAADRONEZONE.
AS TIME WENT ON IDS CENTER MANAGEMENT CONCLUDED THAT THE DAMAGE WAS NOT CAUSED BY THE DRONE AND WAS ACTUALLY CAUSED BY FALLING SNOW/ICE EARLIER IN THE MONTH. THIS MEANS THIS WOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED A REPORTABLE UAS SAFETY EVENT UNDER 14 CFR 107.9.
IT WAS DETERMINED THROUGH THE COURSE OF THE INVESTIGATION THAT THE DRONE THE RPIC USED, DJI MAVIC 3 CINE, WAS IMPROPERLY REGISTERED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE DRONE WAS REGISTERED AS A MODELIST WHEN IT SHOULD'VE BEEN REGISTERED AS A NON-MODELIST. IT WAS ALSO DETERMINED THAT THE RPIC POTENTIALLY OPERATED THEIR DRONE OVER PEOPLE DURING THE COURSE OF THEIR OPERATIONS. RPIC ADMITTED TO THESE FACTS DURING A MEETING ON 04/07/25.
IT IS OUR OPINION THAT THE RPIC BECAME DISORIENTED DURING THEIR OPERATION WHEN TRANSITIONING FROM VISUALLY WATCHING THE DRONE TO FPV ON THEIR CONTROLLER. IT IS ALSO OUR OPINION THAT THE RPIC HAS A SAFETY CONSCIOUS ATTITUDE ABOUT FLYING AND THIS WAS MERELY AN UNFORTUNATE ACCIDENT. THE RPIC HAD DONE THEIR DUE DILIGENCE IN MAKING SURE THE AIRSPACE WAS CLEAR, AND THEY WERE NOT OPERATING IN AN AREA REQUIRING A LOW ALTITUDE AUTHORIZATION AND CAPABILITY NOTIFICATION (LAANC).