What happened
On the night of 24 April 2023, a DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise UAS, registered ZT-UZY, was performing a night-time surveillance mission at the Syferfontein Mine in Mpumalanga. The operation was being conducted under visual line of sight (VLOS) protocols as part of a permitted aerial patrol.
Shortly after takeoff, the pilot observed a left gimbal error message on the remote station. This mechanical issue caused the gimbal to tilt, which subsequently skewed the camera's view on the pilot's display. During the attempt to manage the flight, the aircraft lost its orientation. The pilot applied full pitch inputs, but the drone ultimately struck a perimeter fence approximately 2 metres above the ground. The impact caused substantial damage to the aircraft and caused the GPS tracking device to detach. Due to the darkness, the pilot was unable to track the separated device immediately. The aircraft was recovered the following morning near the fence line with visible damage to the propeller blades.
The investigation
SACAA AIID examined the flight logs and manufacturer data to reconstruct the sequence of events. The investigation confirmed that the pilot held a valid Remote Pilot Licence and the operator possessed the necessary certificates for night-time surveillance operations. Technical analysis of the post-accident log revealed that the pilot attempted to engage a 'point of interest' maneuver at approximately 20:45Z, which coincided with the loss of aircraft orientation. The investigation also verified that the aircraft had undergone a mandatory periodic inspection less than a month prior to the incident.