Part 107 UAS pilot reported having issues with UAS mapping software while hovering that resulted in brief flight into controlled airspace without authorization.

Date: 2024-10 · Aircraft: DJI Mavic 3

Anomalies: airspace-violation-all-types|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-unauthorized-flight-operations-uas

Synopsis

Part 107 UAS pilot reported having issues with UAS mapping software while hovering that resulted in brief flight into controlled airspace without authorization.

Narrative

I was flying a DJI Mavic 3 in Class C airspace roughly 2 miles from an airport. Through AutoPylot; I had received LAANC authorization to fly in that area up to 200 feet. I had just completed a flight a few miles away in the same airspace restrictions. In that flight; the drone's Geo Zone software was working perfectly to indicate flight ceiling restrictions and safety hazards. However; on this particular flight a few minutes later; the Geo Zone software was not accurate. I was keeping my eyes on the drone and watching out for any nearby people; cars and small aircraft in the area. About 10 minutes into the flight; I glanced down at my altitude and noticed I had drifted above 200 feet. The drone's Geo Zone software was telling me I was still within an acceptable altitude. However; I knew something must be off either with the software on the drone or the AutoPylot request I submitted pre-flight. It was at this point that I decided to land the drone to double-check my pre-flight information. Upon further investigation; it was clear the drone's built-in Geo Zone software was not functioning properly. It was indicating I was clear to fly up to 400 feet; which was not accurate. It also was not indicating the nearby cutoff to a 0-foot zone. Because of this; I inadvertently flew above the 200-foot ceiling (but stayed below 400 feet). Looking back at my flighttracker info; I may have also accidentally crossed about 50 yards into the 0-foot zone for about 60 seconds before turning around. Again; the drone software was not indicating that I was that close to the border of my approved zone.In retrospect; I should not have been relying so much on the built-in DJI software to be accurate. It had been accurate on previous flights. However; I now know that it cannot be fully trusted. In the future; I will not be relying on the software; so as to prevent a future incident like this. As a newer drone pilot; I had not been warned about the inconsistency of this software. It would benefit a lot of pilots to hear about this through some means; perhaps requiring the DJI app to put up a disclaimer upon each use that information may be inaccurate and needs to be independently verified?

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.