DUASxx13

Following their GVC (General Visual Line of Sight Certificate) training, a newly qualified Remote Pilot (RP) experienced a minor accident whilst conducting the 6 hours of non-operational mandatory flight training that precedes the [XXXXX] flight assessment. On Sunday 7th May, the pilot was flying a DJI M30T in a field >50m away from a railway. The flight was taking place at night, which appears to have been a contributing factor in the accident.

The RP was practicing a rapid descent deconfliction manoeuvre using a DJI M30T, and had rapidly descended the aircraft from an altitude of approximately 80m to 3m. The RP simultaneously reduced the lateral distance of the aircraft from approximately 390m to 3m. At the end of the descent manoeuvre, the RP accidentally pushed forward on the right control stick, instead of the left (throttle) and the aircraft collided with a nearby palisade fence. The aircraft experienced minor damage, albeit adequate to necessitate repair by an external service provider.

Whilst it is generally considered positive that the RP was practicing an avoiding manoeuvre in a rural location, the RP descended the drone at excessive speed, leading to confusion regarding the control stick inputs. The RP pushed his flying skills too far, too fast during training and should have avoided such actions during a night flight.

The RP was undertaking a training flight at night – for this reason, the lighting conditions were insufficient for the obstacle avoidance sensors to function and, as a failsafe, avert the collision. The RP was also alone during the training flight – whilst this is permitted, it is advised that training flights should be conducted with an experienced colleague where possible and available for support.

Operator’s internal recommendations:

• • Only conduct simple flights at night and be aware that obstacle avoidance sensors will not work unless there is sufficient lighting.
  • You are obligated to read your aircraft manuals and must understand how the aircraft will behave under different weather and lighting conditions.
  • Night Operations require robust planning, risk assessments and mitigations to be in place.
  • These include, but are not limited to, the use of TOAL lighting and minimising the flight distance. You are also required to observe, and risk assess the site during the day.
  • It is important not to push your skills too far, too fast – particularly if you are a newly trained RP. It is advised that you should identify and contact a more experienced colleague to support you during training flights.