- Date
- August 7, 2024, 15:10 local (19:10 UTC)
- Place
- Francesville, IN
- Injuries
- 1 serious; on the ground: 1 serious
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N268MQXag P100 PRO
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 3
- NTSB office
- Central Region
- Parties
- FAA Flight Standards
- Case key
- 195293
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The remote pilot’s in-flight loss of control of the unmanned aircraft due to GPS signal fluctuations, which resulted in a collision with, and serious injury to, a person assisting the operation.
Findings · 3
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The remote pilot reported that the unmanned aircraft system (UAS) was landing and had reached the designated landing spot and descent height just before the accident. When the UAS was about 1 foot above the ground, the aircraft flew sideways about 30 ft and struck a person assisting with the operation. That individual sustained a broken shoulder. The unmanned aircraft sustained damage to one rotor blade and to the onboard radar assembly; both were replaced. A review of the available flight logs for the UAS indicated that as the aircraft was landing, the number of available GPS satellites decreased. This was accompanied by frequent signal fluctuations. The UAS subsequently calculated a position deviation that it attempted to resolve by repositioning itself.
Factual narrative
On August 7, 2024, about 1510 eastern daylight time, an XAG P100 Pro UAS, N268MQ, sustained minor damage when it was involved in an accident near Francesville, Indiana. An individual was seriously injured after being struck by the unmanned aircraft. The UAS was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 137 agricultural flight. The remote pilot reported that the unmanned aircraft was landing and had reached the landing spot and descent height. However, when it was about 1 foot above the ground, the aircraft flew sideways about 30 ft and struck a person who was assisting with the operation. That individual sustained a broken shoulder. The unmanned aircraft sustained damage to one rotor blade and to the onboard radar assembly; both were replaced. A review of the available flight logs for the UAS indicated that as the aircraft was landing, the number of available GPS satellites decreased , which was accompanied by frequent fluctuations and unstable accuracy. The UAS subsequently calculated a position deviation that it attempted to resolve by repositioning itself. The remote pilot stated that, as a result of this accident, they are now putting a physical barrier between ground personnel and the UAS during takeoff and landing to minimize hazards during those phases of flight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N268MQ
- Reported as
- Xag P100 PRO
- Category
- Helicopter, unmanned
- Serial number
- 1863FPEG82193453D4L7
- Built
- 2024
- Engine
- Xag A50, 5 horsepower, electric
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Aerial application · Part 137
- Operator
- Lcg Family Farms LLC, doing business as G6 Drone Spraying
- Registered owner
- Lcg Family Farms LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- None
- Departed
- N/A · Francesville, IN
- Destination
- N/A · Francesville, IN
- Equipment
- None
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Remote
- Seat
- None
- Restraint
- None
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 50° at 7 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,100 ft broken
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.96 inHg
- Observed at
- KRZL, 14 nm away
- METAR
- METAR KRZL 071915Z AUTO 05007KT 10SM BKN031 24/18 A2996
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 1, 2025, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 3.5 MB in all.