Collision with terrain involving DJI Matrice 600 Pro, Roseville, New South Wales, on 18 January 2018

What happened

On 18 January 2018, at 1400 Eastern Daylight-saving Time (EDT), a DJI Matrice 600 Pro hexacopter remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) was conducting a flight above Roseville Chase oval, New South Wales (NSW). During the return-to-home procedure, at a height of 20-25 m, the RPA contacted a pole and subsequently collided with terrain. It sustained damage beyond repair.

The pilot speculated that it is possible that the return-to-home height was not checked after the application was started. This caused the RPA to return to home at an unsafe height.

Safety message

This incident highlights the importance of following pre-flight procedures for remotely piloted aircraft to ensure that all flight parameters are set correctly.

Further information about flying a drone (RPA) safely can be found on the ATSB website, under the news item: Know your drone and the rules to fly safely.

About this report

Decisions regarding whether to conduct an investigation, and the scope of an investigation, are based on many factors, including the level of safety benefit likely to be obtained from an investigation. For this occurrence, no investigation has been conducted and the ATSB did not verify the accuracy of the information. A brief description has been written using information supplied in the notification and any follow-up information in order to produce a short summary report, and allow for greater industry awareness of potential safety issues and possible safety actions.