What happened
On 16 April 2022, a DJI Air 2S was being operated in a private capacity at Welfare Park in Huthwaite, Nottinghamshire. During the flight, a group of children in the area became interested in the unmanned aircraft. The pilot began flying the drone at a low altitude, specifically a few feet above the heads of the children, which prompted them to chase the aircraft.
As the pilot transitioned the drone into a GPS-stabilised hover, a 3-year-old child attempted to catch the device. In the process, the child's hand made contact with the rotating blades. This contact destabilised the aircraft, causing it to lose altitude momentarily. The rotor blades struck the child, resulting in one minor injury involving significant cuts to the face, as well as smaller lacerations to the nose, chin, and fingers. The child required medical attention at a hospital. Following the impact, the drone automatically regained its hover position, and the pilot moved the aircraft away from the group.
The investigation
The investigation established that the pilot was also the registered operator of the drone and held the necessary CAA-issued flyer and operator IDs. However, the pilot did not possess an A2 Certificate of Competency, which would have allowed for different operational parameters.
Under the UK's A3 Open category regulations, the pilot was required to maintain a minimum horizontal separation of 50 metres from uninvolved persons and 150 metres from recreational areas. The investigation found that these separation distances were not maintained during the flight. The child was classified as an uninvolved person, as they were not part of the drone operation and had received no safety instructions.
Findings
- The pilot operated the DJI Air 2S in violation of the required separation minima for the A3 Open category.
- The proximity of the aircraft to uninvolved persons directly enabled the physical contact that led to the injury.
- The pilot acknowledged that the aircraft should not have been flown so close to the children.