Independent report

AAIB Record-only UAS investigations reviewed: December 2024 - January 2025

Published 13 March 2025

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
26 Nov 2024	DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise	Elmbridge, Surrey	The UA was engaged on an automated mapping flight when it began to behave erratically. The UA did not respond to the remote pilot’s return home command and it was guided over a field where it came down.
26 Nov 2024	UAS AgEagle Ebee X	Near Earystane, Isle of Man	Whilst the remote pilot’s attention was drawn to the UAS controller to disable a proximity alert, the data link to the aircraft was lost and the UA flew out of sight of both the pilot and a safety spotter. The UAS’s return-to-home feature had been set, but it did not return. The remote pilot considered a nearby telecommunication tower may have caused signal interference resulting in the loss of the UAS data link.
28 Nov 2024	DJI Mavic 3T	Rural location in Shropshire	During a UA flight in a rural area, the UAS controller displayed several electronic speed control warnings in quick succession, accompanied by the instruction land immediately. The remote pilot tried to manually fly the UA back to the takeoff point to land. But the UA descended rapidly, not in response to the remote pilot’s inputs and made firm contact with the ground, resulting in some damage. It immediately became airborne again, at which point, the remote pilot was able to regain manual control and land the UA normally at low speed.
28 Nov 2024	DJI Phantom 4 RT	Horton-In-Ribblesdale, North Yorkshire	During a survey flight over a quarry, when the UA was at a distance of 150 m from the remote pilot, the UAS controller indicated that a loss of communication link had occurred. The return-to-home function was activated but was not successful. The remote pilot lost sight of the UA and at the time of reporting, it had not been located.
9 Dec 2024	DJI Inspire 3	Chertsey, Surrey	Whilst filming in a controlled area, the UA struck with a tree.
10 Dec 2024	DJI M30T	Stourbridge, Worcestershire	During a demonstration flight at a school playing field, the UA struck a tree and fell to the ground. The UA was at a horizontal distance of 100-150 m from the remote pilot and the assembled persons, and 7- 8 m above the ground when it struck the tree.
27 Jan 2025	DJI M30T	Huddersfield, West Yorkshire	The UA was being operated in a wooded area. Shortly after takeoff the remote pilot inadvertently operated the wrong control and instead of climbing the UA flew forwards into trees. The propellers of the UA struck tree branches and the UA fell about 50 m to the ground.
29 Jan 2025	Skylane 250 VTOL	Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire	The UA was being recovered from horizontal to vertical flight under manual control during a test flight. As it touched down, an automated return to land occurred as a result of an incorrect parameter being configured. The UA lifted and then struck the ground causing structural damage to the wings and fuselage.