What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 21, 2026 at approximately 1330 EDT a small unmanned aircraft system (suas) collided with a vehicle near the location of privacy data omitted. Operation took place in a large open parking lot. Both the owner of the vehicle and remote pilot in command stated that there were only two vehicles in the area that were both stationary and unoccupied; operations were not intended to be conducted near the vehicles. The suas is registered as privacy data omitted and holds no airworthiness certificate. Flight operations were to consist of a routine battery drain flight operated under 14 CFR 107. Technical support from the manufacturer of the aircraft, lucid bots, provided an analysis of the sequence of events. During the flight a GPS receiver degraded leading to navigation-aiding failure. The aircraft's flight control mode then automatically switched from position mode to manual mode as a fallback. This handed control of the aircraft directly to the remote PIC unexpectedly while the aircraft was approximately 15 feet in the air. The remote pic's was already applying large control inputs before the aircraft's flight control mode automatically switched from position mode to manual mode. In position mode, large control inputs only produce modest movement of the aircraft. However, these large inputs translated into full authority commands the instant the control mode changed which caused aggressive negative attitude response and rapid lateral acceleration leading to the collision with the vehicle. The analysis also suggests no motor or actuator failure, no spontaneous control commands by the remote PIC, and no loss of the radio link between the aircraft and controller. The incident was reported by the remote PIC in accordance with 14 CFR 107.9. Aircraft is being sent back by the remote PIC to the manufacturer for further analysis and determining cause of GPS degradation.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 21, 2026 AT APPROXIMATELY 1330 EDT A SMALL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM (SUAS) COLLIDED WITH A VEHICLE NEAR THE LOCATION OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. OPERATION TOOK PLACE IN A LARGE OPEN PARKING LOT. BOTH THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE AND REMOTE PILOT IN COMMAND STATED THAT THERE WERE ONLY TWO VEHICLES IN THE AREA THAT WERE BOTH STATIONARY AND UNOCCUPIED; OPERATIONS WERE NOT INTENDED TO BE CONDUCTED NEAR THE VEHICLES. THE SUAS IS REGISTERED AS ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ AND HOLDS NO AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE. FLIGHT OPERATIONS WERE TO CONSIST OF A ROUTINE BATTERY DRAIN FLIGHT OPERATED UNDER 14 CFR 107. TECHNICAL SUPPORT FROM THE MANUFACTURER OF THE AIRCRAFT, LUCID BOTS, PROVIDED AN ANALYSIS OF THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS. DURING THE FLIGHT A GPS RECEIVER DEGRADED LEADING TO NAVIGATION-AIDING FAILURE. THE AIRCRAFT'S FLIGHT CONTROL MODE THEN AUTOMATICALLY SWITCHED FROM POSITION MODE TO MANUAL MODE AS A FALLBACK. THIS HANDED CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT DIRECTLY TO THE REMOTE PIC UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE THE AIRCRAFT WAS APPROXIMATELY 15 FEET IN THE AIR. THE REMOTE PIC'S WAS ALREADY APPLYING LARGE CONTROL INPUTS BEFORE THE AIRCRAFT'S FLIGHT CONTROL MODE AUTOMATICALLY SWITCHED FROM POSITION MODE TO MANUAL MODE. IN POSITION MODE, LARGE CONTROL INPUTS ONLY PRODUCE MODEST MOVEMENT OF THE AIRCRAFT. HOWEVER, THESE LARGE INPUTS TRANSLATED INTO FULL AUTHORITY COMMANDS THE INSTANT THE CONTROL MODE CHANGED WHICH CAUSED AGGRESSIVE NEGATIVE ATTITUDE RESPONSE AND RAPID LATERAL ACCELERATION LEADING TO THE COLLISION WITH THE VEHICLE. THE ANALYSIS ALSO SUGGESTS NO MOTOR OR ACTUATOR FAILURE, NO SPONTANEOUS CONTROL COMMANDS BY THE REMOTE PIC, AND NO LOSS OF THE RADIO LINK BETWEEN THE AIRCRAFT AND CONTROLLER. THE INCIDENT WAS REPORTED BY THE REMOTE PIC IN ACCORDANCE WITH 14 CFR 107.9. AIRCRAFT IS BEING SENT BACK BY THE REMOTE PIC TO THE MANUFACTURER FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS AND DETERMINING CAUSE OF GPS DEGRADATION.