A firefighter crashed an £8,000 drone during a search for a missing person. The drone had been requested by Greater Manchester Police for the case last summer when, towards the end of the mission, it began a 'rapid descent arch' and hit the ground.
The DJI Matrice 300 RTK, sold online for around £8,000, was the property of, and was being operated by, Greater Manchester Fire Service (GMFRS) on August 3. It had been in flight for around nine minutes when, at a height of around 200ft, the pilot and an observer heard an audible 'bang or pop'. It prompted a 'three-rotor emergency landing sequence', with the drone flying in a 'rapidly descending arc' until it struck the ground.
A report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch details how it crashed on to Seymour Grove, Old Trafford at 11.37pm, and 'the aircraft was destroyed'. The manufacturer later identified that the 'left rear frame arm folded back during the flight and struck the motor'.
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The report cited that this resulted in a failure of the rotor, triggering the emergency landing mode. It added: "The UAS manufacturer considered there was a high likelihood that the locking collar at the junction of the frame arm had not been fully tightened, causing the rotor arm to fold back in flight'.
The pilot of the drone was understood to have had 18 hours' flying experience, with four hours completed over the previous 90 days.
The Manchester Evening News asked GMFRS for the outcome of the missing person search, and how much the drone had cost them. In a statement, they said they had learnt lessons from the incident, which are now reflected in their operating procedures.
A Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) spokesperson said: “On Tuesday 3 August 2021 at 11:52pm a GMFRS Air Unit drone was requested by Greater Manchester Police to assist in the search of a missing person. Towards the end of search the drone operator initiated an emergency landing sequence, flying in a rapidly descending arc until the drone struck the ground.
“Following this incident, an Air Accidents Investigation Branch investigation was carried out, which we have been fully involved with and subsequent learnings have been reflected in our operating procedures
“Our Air Unit capability continues to be a key tool for our response to incidents and to support the work of our emergency service partners.” The Manchester Evening News asked GMP for comment.
