What happened
On 12 October 2021, a survey operation at the Seriti Mine, Klipfontein Extension in Mpumalanga province resulted in the loss of a DJI Matrice 200 v2 drone, registration ZT-WWE. The flight was being conducted under Part 10-1 regulations in visual meteorological conditions.
Prior to takeoff at 1630Z, the pilot performed standard pre-flight inspections, confirming that the equipment and batteries were functional and that return-to-home failsafes were properly configured. However, the pilot noted irregular performance during the initial stages of the flight, specifically intermittent video signal degradation while the system switched between 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz frequencies.
At approximately 1644Z, the aircraft disconnected from the control link. The pilot lost line-of-sight contact with the drone at a distance of roughly 3.4 kilometers from the home point. Despite activating the return-to-home (RTH) command, the aircraft failed to reconnect. At the time of the incident, the drone had approximately 53% battery remaining, and environmental conditions included an easterly wind of 12 knots. Efforts to locate the aircraft via dispatch tracking were unsuccessful because the tracking system was non-operational. The drone remains missing.
The investigation
SACAA AIID investigators examined the circumstances surrounding the loss of signal and the pilot's observations regarding signal interference. The investigation focused on the transition between frequency bands and the failure of the aircraft to respond to the RTH command following the loss of the data link.