Independent report

AAIB Record-only UAS investigations reviewed: April - May 2026

Published 9 July 2026

This section provides details of accidents and incidents which were not subject to a Field or full Correspondence Investigation. They are wholly, or largely, based on information provided by the aircraft commander at the time of reporting and in some cases additional information from other sources. The accuracy of the information provided cannot be assured.

Event date	Aircraft Type	Location Name	Record Only Occurrence Text
9 Apr 2026	Tekever AR3	Aberporth Airport, Ceredigion	Whilst transitioning to fixed wing flight from vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) flight the UA entered a stall, resulting in the loss of control of the aircraft. The observer attempted to remotely deploy the parachute, but there was insufficient time to inflate the canopy and arrest the descent. The UA struck the ground resulting in substantial aircraft damage. An assessment of the event by the operator identified that the remote pilot (RP) had missed a cross check to confirm sufficient forward speed had been achieved before transition. The operator is now using this scenario during RP recurrence training to raise awareness of this issue.
10 Apr 2026	AlphaRay	Dunraven Bay, Bridgend	During hovering flight, the UA electric motors shut down causing the UA to descend into water. Owing to the extent of damage, it is not known what led to the motors shutting down.
26 Apr 2026	MA Irvine Wild Card	Near Puttenham, Surrey	The model aircraft (MA) was being flown at a model flying club in a rural area when it became unresponsive to control inputs. The MA entered a descending turn toward the ground and struck the front bumper of a car travelling down a private track adjacent to the field. Although the MA was destroyed, the battery survived and had about 50% charge remaining. It was not determined why the MA stopped responding to control inputs.
20 May 2026	DJI Mini 5	Sutton, Greater London	Whilst carrying out a survey of high voltage power lines, the UA struck the power line and then descended to the ground. The RP had been using first person view (FPV) and relying on the automated obstacle avoidance system during the manoeuvres. The system however is not designed to detect power lines and the use of FPV did not give the RP enough information for appropriate separation to avoid the collision. [Text addended 23 Jul 2026.]
22 May 2026	DJI Mavic 3	Prenton, Merseyside	The UA struck the side of a building whilst undertaking commercial filming. Minor damage was sustained to the UA.
26 May 2026	MA Kiel Kraft Falcon	Shillito Wood, Derbyshire	The 4 kg MA was being operated at a model aircraft flying club in a remote area when it stopped responding to control inputs, following a loss of radio link. The aircraft experienced a flyaway and has not been found.