What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Pilot statement
7:30 – 7:45 Am
Arrived at the field located at 394204N 0885935W. Drove around the field via w ridlen rd and
Cardinal dr to identify a safe location to park the truck and trailer, as well as to establish a safe
Takeoff and landing area.
7:46 – 7:55 Am
Walked the south and west edges of the field to assess obstacles present in the area.
7:55 – 8:05 Am
Unloaded the drone and prepared the trailer for operations.
8:05 – 8:35 Am
Completed the Xag aerial applications start-of-day checklist (see attached).
? Loaded batteries into the drone and filled it with the appropriate product.
? Verified the field boundary in the Xag app.
? Set boundary safety barrier on field edges to 18.5 ft.
? Identified three power poles set safety barrier at 50 ft.
? Checked remote connection: “good”.
? Verified satellite lock: 21+ satellites connected.
? Manually turned on the drone’s liquid pumps: “good”.
? Manually tested propellers: “good”.
8:35 – 8:38 Am
Conducted final check of control settings and field entry point for safety prior to drone takeoff.
8:39 – 8:45 Am
Drone takeoff: I initiated autonomous takeoff. Once inside the field boundary, I briefly switched
To manual control to validate operation, then resumed autonomous flight.
? The drone completed its first application flight without issue.
? I monitored altitude, spray pattern, and obstacle avoidance — especially near the west
Power pole — with no problems observed.
? Noted minor "bucking" behavior, but nothing unusual or outside normal operation.
8:45 – 8:51 Am (estimated)
Completed second flight.
8:51 – 9:00 Am (estimated)
Completed third flight.
9:00 – 9:12 Am (estimated)
Completed fourth flight.
9:12 – 9:22 Am (estimated)
Completed fifth flight.
9:22 – 9:35 Am (estimated)
During the sixth flight, the drone entered autonomous hover mode near a power pole in the
Middle of the field. The drone was approximately 900 ft away from my location, but I still had
Line of sight.
The controller displayed two flight path options. I was not comfortable selecting either option, so
I decided to manually move the drone away from the power pole, ascend, and return to home.
I took manual control by rotating the drone away from the obstacle, then flew northwest until I
Believed the drone was in a safe position to ascend.
When I commanded the drone to ascend, it made contact with a power line.
? The drone’s propellers struck the line, and it immediately fell to the ground.
? After impact to the ground, I held the throttle stick down to shut off the drone.
9:35 – 10:40 Am (estimated)
Entered the field to inspect the drone.
? Upon approach, there was no smoke, sound, or indication of fire.
? Batteries remained installed.
? Performed a 2-minute risk assessment. The drone had broken arms and propellers and
Was resting in a tilted upright position.
? No power or activity was observed from the drone.
? I attempted to contact the chief drone pilot, but my phone had been locked (due to
Incorrect passcode attempts in my pocket) and was inaccessible for 1 hour.
? I decided to remove the drone from the field. Removed both batteries and returned them
To the trailer.
? Returned to the drone, separated the payload tank from the drone to make it easier to
Carry. Transported both back to the trailer.
10:40 – 11:30 Am (estimated)
Phone remained locked, so I loaded the drone into the trailer and returned to the nutrien
Precision building in cerro gordo, IL.
Secured the truck, trailer, and drone, then went home to change clothing and shower.
11:30 Am – 12:30 pm
After the phone unlocked, I contacted the nutrien ag chief drone pilot and my general
Manager to report the incident.
3:45 Pm – 5:00PM
Held a fact-finding meeting with via microsoft team:
? privacy data omitted
? Jprivacy data omitted – advisor, sh&e retail, cornbelt region
As the FAA filed it
PILOT STATEMENT
7:30 – 7:45 AM
ARRIVED AT THE FIELD LOCATED AT 394204N 0885935W. DROVE AROUND THE FIELD VIA W RIDLEN RD AND
CARDINAL DR TO IDENTIFY A SAFE LOCATION TO PARK THE TRUCK AND TRAILER, AS WELL AS TO ESTABLISH A SAFE
TAKEOFF AND LANDING AREA.
7:46 – 7:55 AM
WALKED THE SOUTH AND WEST EDGES OF THE FIELD TO ASSESS OBSTACLES PRESENT IN THE AREA.
7:55 – 8:05 AM
UNLOADED THE DRONE AND PREPARED THE TRAILER FOR OPERATIONS.
8:05 – 8:35 AM
COMPLETED THE XAG AERIAL APPLICATIONS START-OF-DAY CHECKLIST (SEE ATTACHED).
? LOADED BATTERIES INTO THE DRONE AND FILLED IT WITH THE APPROPRIATE PRODUCT.
? VERIFIED THE FIELD BOUNDARY IN THE XAG APP.
? SET BOUNDARY SAFETY BARRIER ON FIELD EDGES TO 18.5 FT.
? IDENTIFIED THREE POWER POLES SET SAFETY BARRIER AT 50 FT.
? CHECKED REMOTE CONNECTION: “GOOD”.
? VERIFIED SATELLITE LOCK: 21+ SATELLITES CONNECTED.
? MANUALLY TURNED ON THE DRONE’S LIQUID PUMPS: “GOOD”.
? MANUALLY TESTED PROPELLERS: “GOOD”.
8:35 – 8:38 AM
CONDUCTED FINAL CHECK OF CONTROL SETTINGS AND FIELD ENTRY POINT FOR SAFETY PRIOR TO DRONE TAKEOFF.
8:39 – 8:45 AM
DRONE TAKEOFF: I INITIATED AUTONOMOUS TAKEOFF. ONCE INSIDE THE FIELD BOUNDARY, I BRIEFLY SWITCHED
TO MANUAL CONTROL TO VALIDATE OPERATION, THEN RESUMED AUTONOMOUS FLIGHT.
? THE DRONE COMPLETED ITS FIRST APPLICATION FLIGHT WITHOUT ISSUE.
? I MONITORED ALTITUDE, SPRAY PATTERN, AND OBSTACLE AVOIDANCE — ESPECIALLY NEAR THE WEST
POWER POLE — WITH NO PROBLEMS OBSERVED.
? NOTED MINOR "BUCKING" BEHAVIOR, BUT NOTHING UNUSUAL OR OUTSIDE NORMAL OPERATION.
8:45 – 8:51 AM (ESTIMATED)
COMPLETED SECOND FLIGHT.
8:51 – 9:00 AM (ESTIMATED)
COMPLETED THIRD FLIGHT.
9:00 – 9:12 AM (ESTIMATED)
COMPLETED FOURTH FLIGHT.
9:12 – 9:22 AM (ESTIMATED)
COMPLETED FIFTH FLIGHT.
9:22 – 9:35 AM (ESTIMATED)
DURING THE SIXTH FLIGHT, THE DRONE ENTERED AUTONOMOUS HOVER MODE NEAR A POWER POLE IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE FIELD. THE DRONE WAS APPROXIMATELY 900 FT AWAY FROM MY LOCATION, BUT I STILL HAD
LINE OF SIGHT.
THE CONTROLLER DISPLAYED TWO FLIGHT PATH OPTIONS. I WAS NOT COMFORTABLE SELECTING EITHER OPTION, SO
I DECIDED TO MANUALLY MOVE THE DRONE AWAY FROM THE POWER POLE, ASCEND, AND RETURN TO HOME.
I TOOK MANUAL CONTROL BY ROTATING THE DRONE AWAY FROM THE OBSTACLE, THEN FLEW NORTHWEST UNTIL I
BELIEVED THE DRONE WAS IN A SAFE POSITION TO ASCEND.
WHEN I COMMANDED THE DRONE TO ASCEND, IT MADE CONTACT WITH A POWER LINE.
? THE DRONE’S PROPELLERS STRUCK THE LINE, AND IT IMMEDIATELY FELL TO THE GROUND.
? AFTER IMPACT TO THE GROUND, I HELD THE THROTTLE STICK DOWN TO SHUT OFF THE DRONE.
9:35 – 10:40 AM (ESTIMATED)
ENTERED THE FIELD TO INSPECT THE DRONE.
? UPON APPROACH, THERE WAS NO SMOKE, SOUND, OR INDICATION OF FIRE.
? BATTERIES REMAINED INSTALLED.
? PERFORMED A 2-MINUTE RISK ASSESSMENT. THE DRONE HAD BROKEN ARMS AND PROPELLERS AND
WAS RESTING IN A TILTED UPRIGHT POSITION.
? NO POWER OR ACTIVITY WAS OBSERVED FROM THE DRONE.
? I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE CHIEF DRONE PILOT, BUT MY PHONE HAD BEEN LOCKED (DUE TO
INCORRECT PASSCODE ATTEMPTS IN MY POCKET) AND WAS INACCESSIBLE FOR 1 HOUR.
? I DECIDED TO REMOVE THE DRONE FROM THE FIELD. REMOVED BOTH BATTERIES AND RETURNED THEM
TO THE TRAILER.
? RETURNED TO THE DRONE, SEPARATED THE PAYLOAD TANK FROM THE DRONE TO MAKE IT EASIER TO
CARRY. TRANSPORTED BOTH BACK TO THE TRAILER.
10:40 – 11:30 AM (ESTIMATED)
PHONE REMAINED LOCKED, SO I LOADED THE DRONE INTO THE TRAILER AND RETURNED TO THE NUTRIEN
PRECISION BUILDING IN CERRO GORDO, IL.
SECURED THE TRUCK, TRAILER, AND DRONE, THEN WENT HOME TO CHANGE CLOTHING AND SHOWER.
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
AFTER THE PHONE UNLOCKED, I CONTACTED THE NUTRIEN AG CHIEF DRONE PILOT AND MY GENERAL
MANAGER TO REPORT THE INCIDENT.
3:45 PM – 5:00PM
HELD A FACT-FINDING MEETING WITH VIA MICROSOFT TEAM:
? ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^
? J^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ – ADVISOR, SH&E RETAIL, CORNBELT REGION