20251020016339I

Incident · Substantial damage

FAA incident report · Aircraft · Menomonie, WI · October 20, 2025

Date: October 20, 2025 · 20:00 local
Place: Menomonie, WI
Phase of flight: Hover/Holding
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: NONE
People aboard: 0
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0
Pilot’s certificate: Private pilot

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.

Operated a UAS to locate a lost deer using an on board spotlight and camera. The remote pilot in command failed to ensure the spotlight was adequately attached to the ua. Shortly after take off the spotlight detached from the ua and interfered with the propellers; causing the ua to fall on top of the client's pickup truck. The client determined damage to the vehicle of approximately $1000. There were no injuries.

As the FAA filed it

OPERATED A UAS TO LOCATE A LOST DEER USING AN ON BOARD SPOTLIGHT AND CAMERA. THE REMOTE PILOT IN COMMAND FAILED TO ENSURE THE SPOTLIGHT WAS ADEQUATELY ATTACHED TO THE UA. SHORTLY AFTER TAKE OFF THE SPOTLIGHT DETACHED FROM THE UA AND INTERFERED WITH THE PROPELLERS; CAUSING THE UA TO FALL ON TOP OF THE CLIENT'S PICKUP TRUCK. THE CLIENT DETERMINED DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE OF APPROXIMATELY $1000. THERE WERE NO INJURIES.