WHEN DRONES GO BAD INVESTIGATING INCIDENTS OF ROGUE OPERATIONS
A BAD DAY AT THE BEACH
Incident Type: Mid-Air Collision
Incident Location: Punta de Tralca, Chile
Aircraft Type: DJI Mavic 2 Pro
Incident Resolution: Crew injured but safely landed aircraft, drone seized
No one is more forceful than me in advocating for the safe use of drones. We must always make safety our highest priority, and avoiding potential conflicts with crewed aircraft must be a paramount concern within that overall goal.
That said, I’ve always been skeptical of the notion that a small uncrewed aircraft system (sUAS) could bring down a crewed aircraft. After all, they are designed to sustain bird strike and continue flying safely. According to 14 CFR 29.631, a helicopter should be able to take a direct hit from a 2-pound bird—such as a duck or a pigeon—while flying at cruising speed and, at a minimum, be able to effect a
