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Independent report

AAIB Record-only UAS investigations reviewed: June - July 2026

Published 10 September 2026

© Crown copyright 2026

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Event date Aircraft Type Location Name Record Only Occurrence Text
1 May 2026 UAS XAG P100 Pro Near Beverley, East Riding of Yorkshire Whilst operating the UAS to apply a shading product to a glasshouse roof, the real time kinematic (RTK) base station lost power and the operator chose to complete the task using a GNSS positioning autoflight mode. During approach to the landing site, the UA drifted towards the glasshouse. The operator attempted to manually take control of the UA but this was unsuccessful and the UA struck the glasshouse. Post-flight analysis of the flight log revealed that the operator had not completed the required flight control sequence to enter the manual control mode.
16 Jun 2026 UAS Aurelia X6 Near Weybourne Airfield, Norfolk The UA was being used for atmospheric measurements in a coastal location when it suddenly ascended and flew along the coast uncommanded. Maintaining visual line of sight, the remote pilot was able to land the UA despite compromised controllability, resulting in substantial damage.
24 Jun 2026 UAS IONA Sonnet V2 Main Hall Farm Airfield, Cambridgeshire During descent for landing within the defined operational area, the UAS flight controller and all four motors lost power simultaneously. The UA pitched nose-down and struck the ground resulting in major damage.
29 Jun 2026 DJI Mini Pro 4 Pwll, Carmarthenshire In its first flight after servicing, the UA took off as expected and flew normally for about “five to ten minutes”. The UA then dropped to the ground from a height of approximately 20 to 30 ft.
10 Jul 2026 DJI Agras T50 Near Martyr Worthy, Hampshire The agricultural UA suffered a power loss and a rapid uncontrolled descent into a field resulting in extensive damage to the UA.
11 Jul 2026 UAS XAG P100 Pro Scawby, Lincolnshire The UA collided with a low-voltage power line during an automated agricultural operation and fell to the ground resulting in its destruction. The remote pilot had assumed the orientation of the power lines based on the field geometry and had not verified the actual obstacle geometry at the location. The operator’s obstacle avoidance procedures were not fully applied.
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