What happened
On the evening of 8 May 2023, an Arace Sirin RPA, registered ZT-XNI, was conducting a night-time aerial surveillance mission in Vryheid, KwaZulu-Natal. The flight was being operated under beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) regulations.
After a successful pre-flight inspection, the pilot launched the aircraft in ATTI mode. The mission progressed through various flight modes, including loiter mode, as the pilot monitored for suspects. During the operation, the pilot transitioned the aircraft back to ATTI mode at an altitude of approximately 69 metres A/G. During this phase, the Command and Control (C2) link was lost. Although the pilot attempted to trigger the return-to-launch function, the aircraft instead engaged an auto-land sequence. The drone eventually crashed, resulting in substantial damage to the propeller and landing gear, though no injuries were reported on the ground.
The investigation
SACAA AIID examined the flight logs and post-accident data provided by the operator. The investigation confirmed that the pilot held valid Remote Pilot and BVLOS ratings, as well as a current medical certificate. The operator's certificates and the aircraft's letter of approval were all within their validity periods.
Analysis of the downloaded flight logs revealed that approximately 20 minutes into the mission, the pilot provided manual inputs to the aircraft. These specific maneuvers caused the RPA to deviate from its path and strike the mountainside.