Aircraft owner reported the agricultural pilot who was flying the aircraft had an NMAC with a UAS during flight. No evasive action was taken.
Synopsis
Aircraft owner reported the agricultural pilot who was flying the aircraft had an NMAC with a UAS during flight. No evasive action was taken.
Narrative
My Chief Pilot was performing an aerial application job under part 137. His field was located on the west side of Road X in Location A. An aerial application drone was spraying the field directly across the highway at the same time. According to my pilot; on one of his passes in the field flying in an easterly heading; he was pulling up out of the field; and the Drone was directly in front of his airplane at the same elevation when he finished this pass. The Drone operator never diverted or stopped his unmanned operation; with not just one aircraft in the area but 3. There was another aircraft working in the field directly to the north of the unmanned aircraft's location. When I looked at Flightaware I noticed a helicopter flying just to the east of the area. This has been our 3 unmanned aircraft conflict this week; but the first one we have reported. I will be contacting our local FSDO the remainder of the summer and giving them weekly drone reports of all of our near encounters with unmanned aircraft. This is becoming a major issue in the area; with many of the unmanned aircraft pilots not flying within the rules and regulations.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.