ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 264928
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| Date: | Friday 24 April 2020 |
| Time: | 23:54 UTC |
| Type: | Yuneec H520 |
| Owner/operator: | Private |
| Registration: | Unregistered |
| MSN: | Y18340018B11A03 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | Hove, East Sussex -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Survey |
| Departure airport: | Hove, East Sussex |
| Hove, East Sussex | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
AAIB investigation to Yuneec H520 (UAS registration n/a): Loss of power to aircraft in turbulent conditions, Hove, East Sussex, 24 April 2020. The AAIB Final Report was published on 10 September 2020, snd the following is an excerpt from it...
"The aircraft dropped to the ground from a height of 15 metres when power was lost to the electric motors, even though the battery’s energy level (State of Charge) was 97.7%. The wind conditions were turbulent and an investigation by the Unmanned Aircraft System’s (UAS) manufacturer concluded that the probable cause for the power loss was that the battery had become loose in flight.
After an initial flight, the pilot landed the Yuneec H520 UAS and changed the battery with one that was fully charged, checking to make sure it was secure before deploying the aircraft again. Not long into this flight, while the aircraft was hovering at about 49 feet (15 metres) agl, the LEDs on the aircraft flickered. No warning was displayed on the control and, when the LEDs flickered a second time, the pilot decided to bring the aircraft back to the landing site to conduct some checks. The LEDs then flickered a third time and, as the pilot tried to manoeuvre the aircraft, it lost power and fell to the ground. Damage to the aircraft was substantial including broken legs and cracks in the aircraft body, camera casing and battery.
=AAIB Analysis=
The sudden loss of power to the motors from a battery that was almost fully charged was consistent with the battery disconnecting in flight. The data indicated that the aircraft was pitching through 6° and rolling through 46° as it maintained altitude while moving slowly forward, suggesting that the conditions were turbulent enough to dislodge the battery if it had not been properly secured in place, even though the pilot had checked to make sure it was.
=Safety actions=
The manufacturer stated that future versions of the Yuneec H520 will include logic to prevent takeoff if it detects that the clip holding the battery in its housing is not securely in place.
=Damage Sustained to Airrame=
Per the above AAIB Report the UAS sustained "Broken legs and cracks to body and battery"
Sources:
1. AAIB Final Report: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5f3cf8b4e90e0732e5efe3ab/Yuneec_H520__reg_na__09-20.pdf
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hove
3. http://yuneec.uk/index.php/products/h520-uav
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 30-Jun-2021 19:53 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
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