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20250806010699A

Accident · Substantial damage
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FAA accident report · DJI AGRAS T50 · Arkport, NY · August 6, 2025

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Date
August 6, 2025 · 14:12 local
Place
Arkport, NY
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
Agricultural (Part 137)
Operator
36WG
Damage
Substantial damage
Aircraft
N434XC
Reported as
DJI Agras T50
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
1
N434XCRegistered now · DJI AGRAS T50S/N 1581F6BUB24B5001G3W9Airframe modelDJI AGRAS T50

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 in command of drone, privacy data omitted, registration number N434XC was operating drone on 8/6/25 at approximately 1412 with the weather that was reported as the following: 73.2F, 3.9 mph winds sse, clear. In class g air space, near Arkport, NY. PIC noticed that drone’s battery was reading less than 20% which cut by operations manual for stopping a job and returning home. As he was returning the drone back to the flight deck, he noticed the battery level was now reading 7% and at 5% it would return to the ground no matter where it is and PIC is unable to move it left of right. It was at this that he decided to move the drone over the corn field and away from command center. However, he inadvertently mixed up the left and right maneuvers as he was staring at the drone head on rather than from behind like he usually flies. This resulted in the blade of the drone to hit the protection area and break the blades sending one towards his hand which caused a few lacerations. Ambulance was called to scene and PIC was taken via ambulance to hospital. Removal of a piece of propeller and stiches were required and x-ray used to verify removal of all propeller fragments, PIC was discharged, after an observation period. The drone sustained a broken propeller. The drone was being operated in manual mode at time of accident. Until the time of the accident 8 flights had been completed totaling 24.09 acres.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT IN COMMAND OF DRONE, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, REGISTRATION NUMBER N434XC WAS OPERATING DRONE ON 8/6/25 AT APPROXIMATELY 1412 WITH THE WEATHER THAT WAS REPORTED AS THE FOLLOWING: 73.2F, 3.9 MPH WINDS SSE, CLEAR. IN CLASS G AIR SPACE, NEAR ARKPORT, NY. PIC NOTICED THAT DRONE’S BATTERY WAS READING LESS THAN 20% WHICH CUT BY OPERATIONS MANUAL FOR STOPPING A JOB AND RETURNING HOME. AS HE WAS RETURNING THE DRONE BACK TO THE FLIGHT DECK, HE NOTICED THE BATTERY LEVEL WAS NOW READING 7% AND AT 5% IT WOULD RETURN TO THE GROUND NO MATTER WHERE IT IS AND PIC IS UNABLE TO MOVE IT LEFT OF RIGHT. IT WAS AT THIS THAT HE DECIDED TO MOVE THE DRONE OVER THE CORN FIELD AND AWAY FROM COMMAND CENTER. HOWEVER, HE INADVERTENTLY MIXED UP THE LEFT AND RIGHT MANEUVERS AS HE WAS STARING AT THE DRONE HEAD ON RATHER THAN FROM BEHIND LIKE HE USUALLY FLIES. THIS RESULTED IN THE BLADE OF THE DRONE TO HIT THE PROTECTION AREA AND BREAK THE BLADES SENDING ONE TOWARDS HIS HAND WHICH CAUSED A FEW LACERATIONS. AMBULANCE WAS CALLED TO SCENE AND PIC WAS TAKEN VIA AMBULANCE TO HOSPITAL. REMOVAL OF A PIECE OF PROPELLER AND STICHES WERE REQUIRED AND X-RAY USED TO VERIFY REMOVAL OF ALL PROPELLER FRAGMENTS, PIC WAS DISCHARGED, AFTER AN OBSERVATION PERIOD. THE DRONE SUSTAINED A BROKEN PROPELLER. THE DRONE WAS BEING OPERATED IN MANUAL MODE AT TIME OF ACCIDENT. UNTIL THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT 8 FLIGHTS HAD BEEN COMPLETED TOTALING 24.09 ACRES.