ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 264904
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| Date: | Tuesday 1 October 2019 |
| Time: | 09:10 UTC |
| Type: | Aerialtronics Altura Zenith ATX8 |
| Owner/operator: | Network Rail |
| Registration: | Unregistered |
| MSN: | BSS149674003 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Stoke Gifford, Gloucestershire -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Survey |
| Departure airport: | Stoke Gifford, Gloucestershire |
| Stoke Gifford, Gloucestershire | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
AAIB investigation to Aerialtronics Altura Zenith ATX8, (UAS registration n/a): Loss of control due to magnetic interference from high voltage cables, Stoke Gifford, Gloucestershire, 1 October 2019. The AAIB Final Report was published on 14 May 2020, and the following is an excerpt from it...
"Following pre-flight checks for a flight from a road bridge above two railway tracks, the UAS, in GPS mode, took off normally, but as it reached approximately 5 metres above the ground it started to drift to the west. As it reached about 10 metres it suddenly accelerated to the west and began to lose altitude. The pilot attempted to correct the drift, but the UAS continued to fly away where, out of sight of the pilot and operating crew, it crashed into vegetation next to the tracks.
Network Rail (Route Control and Air Operations) were immediately contacted to inform them of what had happened. They were subsequently contacted again a few minutes later once it was confirmed that the aircraft was not on the tracks. A Network Rail response team later recovered the damaged UAS.
=Operator’s investigation and findings=
Takeoff site inspection
The day after the accident flight, the operator went to inspect the takeoff site to try and identify any factors that might explain the aircraft’s behaviour. A spectrum analysis of the radio frequencies at the site didn’t identify anything of concern. However, when using a hand-held compass to check for any magnetic interference, deviations of up to 140° were observed over localised regions of the bridge below which the railway track’s overhead high-voltage wires were being ducted.
=Safety actions=
As a result of the findings, the operator has made changes in its flying procedures to reduce the possibility of the event reoccurring. These include:
(1) a magnetic interference check using a manual compass of an area 10 m around the planned takeoff location;
(2) a visual check for objects and structures that might have a large magnetic field;
(3) takeoff and landings should take place as far away from any sources of magnetic interference; and
(4) the pilot should always be ready to switch out of GPS mode into atti(tude) or manual flight modes to retake control of the UAS if control is lost whilst in GPS mode.
=Damage Sustained to Airframe=
Per the above AAIB Report the UAS were "Airfame and gimbal destroyed beyond repair"
Sources:
1. AAIB Final Report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5f3beeabd3bf7f1b17facec6/Aerialtronics_Altura_Zenith_ATX8_na_011019_05-20.pdf
2. https://www.theregister.com/2020/05/21/drone_electromagnetic_interference/
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoke_Gifford
4. https://www.aerialtronics.com/downloads/EN-Specsheet_aerialtronics-AlturaZenith_ATX8_16.06.2017.pdf
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 29-Jun-2021 20:36 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 29-Jun-2021 20:37 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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