ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 316121
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Wednesday 26 April 2023 |
| Time: | 20:50 UTC |
| Type: | ARACE SIRIN |
| Owner/operator: | |
| Registration: | ZT-YJG |
| MSN: | SIR117 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Sibanye Rustenburg Hexriver Helipad -
 South Africa
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Survey |
| Departure airport: | |
| Investigating agency: | CAA S.A. |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
The pilot stated that after conducting the pre-flight checks with no anomalies detected, she launched the UAS at 2032Z with 99% battery power and 2 hours endurance on a surveillance flight at Sibanye Stillwater dumping ground in Rustenburg.
Approximately 18 minutes into the flight, the pilot received a message on her cellular phone from a team member seeking urgent assistance. Whilst reading the message, the pilot inadvertently pressed the acrobatic (ACRO) button (which requires manual control by the pilot) on the pilot remote station, which was on her left hand, and the UAS engaged ACRO flying mode (the UAS's remote control was equipped with an ACRO mode button). At the time of the accident, the UAS, which was being flown in Global Positioning System (GPS) mode, was approximately 300 feet AGL and 1.78 km south-east from the launch site. In GPS mode/autonomous, the UAS is able to fly under automatic systems, that
is, without the intervention of the pilot.
The pilot reported that whilst attempting to engage the UAS back to GPS mode, the UAS entered a dive and the airspeed drastically increased before it disconnected from the remote pilot station. A post-impact fire ensued which destroyed the UAS. It is likely that the fire was caused by an explosion from the UAS’s battery after impact. No damage to property or injury to personnel on the ground was reported. The pilot and her team tracked the UAS from the last recorded location; they found it crashed on the ground and destroyed by fire.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
SACAA
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 26-Aug-2023 08:59 | harro | Updated |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation