Drone Manufacturer: DJI
Drone Model: Inspire 2
Country: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Type: Accident
Date: 2020-06-29
Applies: Daytime
Pilot Qualifications: Unknown Status
Pilot Flight Experience: Unknown Hours
Link to External Information About This submission: https://www.gov.uk/aaib-reports/aaib-investigation-to-dji-inspire-2-uas-registration-n-a-290620
File Uploaded: dji_inspire_2_uas_registration_na_290620_1120
Description
The UA was being flown from an open field in what the pilot described as “wind, but not above 18 to 19 mph”. The pilot was monitoring and watching the UA going through its landing procedure. He then observed what looked like a propeller coming apart and the aircraft fell out of control. It hit a car parked on a private residential driveway damaging the cars bodywork. The UA disintegrated on impact. After discussion with the owner of the car and an exchange of details, the remains of the UAS, including its damaged battery, were removed from the site by its owner.
Earlier on the same day this UA had been seen by another UAS pilot who was conducting authorised flying at Windsor racecourse. The pilot was concerned about the risk of another UA operating in the vicinity and near members of the public whilst racing was underway. He approached the pilot, and owner, of the accident UA and asked them to move away, which they did. They resumed flying at a different location, and it was near this new location the accident occurred.
Reported Cause
The pilot considered what might have happened to the propeller and concluded that it had been hit by something.
The batteries of a UA contain large quantities of stored energy and should be handled with great care when damaged. Special precautions should be taken when handling, transporting or disposing of them. Damaged batteries can go into a thermal runaway condition and release their energy rapidly. This generates large amounts of heat, flames and harmful gases. To mitigate this risk, damaged batteries should therefore only be carried in specially designed commercially available cases or pouches.