Incident DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2 Unregistered, Wednesday 19 May 2021
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Date:Wednesday 19 May 2021
Time:day
Type:DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2
Owner/operator:Private
Registration: Unregistered
MSN: N/K
Fatalities:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0
Other fatalities:0
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Location:Brent Cross, London Borough of Barnet, London NW4 -   United Kingdom
Phase: En route
Nature:Survey
Departure airport:Brent Cross, London Borough of Barnet, London NW4
Destination airport:Brent Cross, London Borough of Barnet, London NW4
Investigating agency: AAIB
Confidence Rating: Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities
Narrative:
19 May 2021: DJI Phantom 4 Pro V2 UAS substantially damaged when fell to the ground from an altitude of 30 metres (aproximately 98 feet) at Brent Cross, London Borough of Barnet, London NW4. The incident was the subject of an AAIB Record-only Investigation, published on 8 July 2021, and the following is the summary from the AAIB Report:

"After surveying from a height of approximately 10 metres, the pilot flew the drone to a height of 30 metres when, without warning, it flipped over and fell to the ground. The UAS came to rest on a rubble plie approximately 50 metres from any person. The pilot reported that, on inspection, it appeared that the battery connector had melted".

Damage sustained to UAS
Per the AAIB Report "the UAS fell to the ground from an altitude of 30 metres" (aproximately 98 feet), plus "it appeared that the battery connector had melted". The latter implies that the primary cause of the incident was due to loss of battery power as a result of a problem or failure with the battery connector.

Brent Cross is a major traffic interchange and area in the London Borough of Barnet, England. Originally the name of a crossroads, it is located a mile from the centres of Hendon and Golders Green. The area is best known for the Brent Cross Shopping Centre, a major retail facility, opened in 1976, south of the interchange. The "Brent Cross Flyover" of the A41 runs to the east of the shopping centre over the A406 North Circular Road, while the M1 motorway and A5 Edgware Road are to the west at Staples Corner interchange. Note that the AAIB report does not explicity state that the incident took place at the Brent Cross Shopping Centre or at another location in the area.

Sources:

1. AAIB Record-only UAS investigations reviewed: April-May 2021, Published 8 July 2021: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/aaib-record-only-uas-investigations-reviewed-april-may-2021/aaib-record-only-uas-investigations-reviewed-april-may-2021
2. https://store.dji.com/uk/product/phantom-4-pro-v2
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brent_Cross

History of this aircraft

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

22 May 2018 Unregistered Private 0 Railworld, near Rivergate Shopping Centre, Oundle Road, Peterborough w/o
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31 August 2020 Unregistered Private 0 Luskentyre Beach, Lewis and Harris, The Outer Hebrides, Scotland sub
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1 December 2020 Unregistered Private 0 Morley, West Yorkshire sub
2 February 2021 Unregistered Private 0 Near Ropley, Hampshire sub
5 March 2021 Unregistered Private 0 Near Sizewell, Suffolk sub
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20 March 2021 Unregistered Private 0 Altrincham, Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, Greater Manchester sub
4 April 2021 Unregistered Private 0 Holywell, Clwyd, Flintshire, North Wales CH8 sub
21 April 2021 Unregistered Private 0 Swindon, Wiltshire sub
30 May 2021 Unregistered Private 0 Llanhilleth, Blaenau Gwent, Wales sub
3 June 2021 Unregistered Private 0 Barnham, 3 miles South of Thetford, Suffolk sub
22 June 2021 Unregistered Private 0 Perth, Perth and Kinross, Scotland sub
28 August 2021 Unregistered Private 0 Stowe, 2 miles NW of Buckingham, Buckinghamshire sub
29 September 2021 Unregistered Private 0 Craignaw, Dungeon Hills, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland w/o
6 October 2023 unregistered Private 0 near Frome, Somerset sub
5 November 2024 Unregistered Private 0 near Lymington, Hampshire sub

Location

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
22-Dec-2024 10:00 Dr. John Smith Updated [Time, Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative, Category, ]

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