UAV, near Sentosa Island, Singapore, 2024

UAV, near Sentosa Island, Singapore, 2024

Summary

On 19 February 2024, a relatively experienced UAV pilot lost control of a ST Engineering Aerospace DrN-355LS whilst operating it on a Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flight about one mile over water from their Sentosa Island location. A brief interruption of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal required the pilot to take control manually. But when the attempt to do so did not follow the correct procedure within the allowed five seconds, control was lost and the UAV ditched and sank and was not recovered. Improvements to pilot access to manual control reversion and related training were recommended.

Description

On 19 February 2024, automatic control of a DrN-355LS unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), serial number AC32-140, was lost during an overwater Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) demonstration flight from Tanjong Beach, Sentosa Island, to the Western Anchorage. The flight was carried out in autonomous mode and in day visual meteorological conditions (VMC). The UAV flew along a predetermined route approximately 164 feet (50m) asl with the unmanned aircraft pilot (UAP) manning the ground control station (GCS) at a remote site. The pilot had ability take over control of the UAV using the GCS, but when this did not happen in time, control of the UAV was lost.

UAV-near-Sentosa-2024-UAV

The UAV involved in the investigated event. [Reproduced from the Official Report]

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