Crashed drone was of ‘poor quality’, investigation finds
Report says ‘potential for a more serious outcome was clear’
A drone that crashed about 40m from people’s homes was of poor design and build quality an investigation has found.
While performing a demonstration flight at Goodwood Aerodrome on July 4, 2019, a remote pilot lost control of the 95kg unmanned aircraft, an Alauda Airspeeder Mk II scale demonstrator.
After the loss of control had been confirmed by the remote pilot, the safety ‘kill switch’ was operated but had no effect.
The drone then climbed to approximately 8,000ft, entering controlled airspace at a holding point for flights arriving at Gatwick Airport, before its battery depleted and it fell to the ground.
It crashed in a field of crops approximately 40m from occupied houses and 700m outside of its designated operating area.
No injuries were reported. Crispin Orr, chief inspector of air accidents, said: “The innovative development of unmanned aircraft systems continues to be rapid and the exploitation of these technologies in a wide variety of novel applications is remarkable.
“However, this is not completely without risk to the general public.
“Thankfully there were no injuries caused by this accident but the potential for a more serious outcome was clear.
“This accident demonstrates why it is so important that manufacturers, operators and regulators of unmanned aircraft ensure they are airworthy and operated in a safe and appropriate manner.
“The investigation has provided a rich opportunity to learn and many safety actions have been taken or recommended to improve the safety of unmanned aviation.”
The AAIB found that the Airspeeder Mk II was not designed, built or tested to any recognisable engineering or airworthiness standards, and that its design and build quality were poor. The operator’s Operating Safety Case contained errors and inaccuracies, it found.
In a statment, the investigator in charge of air accidents, Mark Jarvis, said: “This investigation has highlighted that there is a great deal of innovation and potential in unmanned aircraft, however, their potential to cause harm must be understood, very carefully considered and fully mitigated.
“Analysis shows that even a small unmanned aircraft falling from a few metres could cause fatal injuries if it struck a member of the public.
“The key safety message from this investigation is that designers and operators of unmanned aircraft must ensure aircrafts, even prototypes, are air worthy and operated in a safe and appropriate manner.”
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