My name is Steve Rhode. I’m a public safety pilot in both the airplane and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). I’ve been a pilot since 1988 and I run the website PSFLIGHT.org (Public Safety Flight) and I’ve also been known to write articles for aviation publications like AOPA.
I love drones and have been flying drones in public safety since 2014. I am an FAA-certificated Part 107 pilot. Drones have many good potential uses.
Since manufacturers do not distribute information regarding known issues my intention with this site is to provide public-safety pilots with factual information about issues they may not know about so they can make the best decisions possible about if it is safe to fly to help avoid unnecessary liability.
In April 2020, during a search for missing autistic child the drone I was flying experienced an unusual event and just autolanded missing police officers and property on the ground below. The quest to find the answers about what caused the drone to just land led me to an even bigger issue, an absence of reports about the problems drone pilots were experiencing.
In the United States, government agencies and drone manufacturers are not required to notify drone pilots of safety issues, yet the pilot must make a determination the drone is safe to fly.
You can read the long article I wrote as a result of my experience – Your Public Safety Drone May Not Be Safe for Flight and Attorneys Might Just Eat You for Lunch.
The ReportDroneAccident.com website is my effort to collect accident and incident reports from drone pilots and distribute that information to help all pilots make smart and informed decisions before they determine their aircraft is safe to fly.
Contact Me
Please feel free to reach out and contact me using the form below.