Date:	Monday 8 June 2020
Time:	day
Type:	DJI Inspire 2
Owner/operator:	Merlin Entertainments Ltd (Thorpe Park)
Registration:	Unregistered
MSN:	N/K
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Thorpe Park, Staines Road, Thorpe, Chertsey, Surrey KT16 8PN -   United Kingdom
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Survey
Departure airport:	Thorpe Park, Staines Road, Thorpe, Chertsey, Surrey KT16 8PN
Destination airport:	Thorpe Park, Staines Road, Thorpe, Chertsey, Surrey KT16 8PN
Investigating agency:	AAIB
Confidence Rating:	Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities

Narrative:
8 June 2020: DJI Inspire 2 Written off (damaged beyond repair) when crashed into a lake** during an air to ground photographic sortie at Thorpe Park, Staines Road, Thorpe, Chertsey, Surrey KT16 8PN. The incident was the subject of an AAIB Record-only Investigation, published on 12 November 2020, and the following is the summary from the AAIB Report:

"When about 250 to 300 metres from the pilot and at an altitude of 10 metres agl (above ground level), whilst tracking a motorboat on a lake, the UAV experienced a loss of control signal. Despite the UAV being pre-programmed to hover in this situation, it maintained its heading, collided with a tree and entered the lake. It was subsequently recovered with damage to the airframe, two propellers and the gimbal".

**Thorpe Park has several lakes: Fleet Lake, Abbey Lake, Manor Lake, St. Anne's Lake and the Britannia Arena Lake. The AAIB report does not specify exactly which of the lakes the UAS crashed into.

Damage Sustained to UAS:
Per the AAIB report "damage to the airframe, two propellers and the gimbal". In addition the UAS was water damaged due to immersion in the lake.

Thorpe Park, formerly also known as Thorpe Park Resort, is a theme park located in the village of Thorpe between the towns of Chertsey and Staines-upon-Thames in Surrey, England, 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Central London. It is operated by Merlin Entertainments and includes rides, themed cabins, live events and Hyperia, the United Kingdom's tallest and fastest rollercoaster.

1. AAIB Record Only Investigation 12 November 2020: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/aaib-record-only-uas-investigations-reviewed-august-september-2020/aaib-record-only-uas-investigations-reviewed-august-september-2020
2. https://www.dji.com/uk/support/product/inspire-2
3. https://www.thorpepark.com/
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorpe_Park

Other occurrences involving this aircraft


17 December 2019	unregistered	Private	0	Lake Vyrnwy, Powys		sub
19 January 2020	Unregistered	Private	0	Ewhurst Park Lake, Ewhurst Park Ewhurst Tadley Hampshire RG26 5RF		w/o
13 February 2020	Unregistered	Private	0	Bentwaters Park, Rendlesham, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 2TW		w/o
17 July 2020	Unregistered	Private	0	Immingham, South Humberside		sub
7 November 2020	Unregistered	Anglesey Drone Media Services	0	Anglesey (Ynys Môn), Gwynedd		sub
2 December 2020	Unregistered	Private	0	Oakham, Rutland		sub
Collision with pole or wires
9 December 2020	Unregistered	Private	0	Selattyn Hill, Oswestry Uplands, Oswestry, Shropshire		sub
15 December 2020	Unregistered	Private	0	Canary Wharf,West India Docks, Isle of Dogs, Tower Hamlets, London E14		sub
4 April 2021	Unregistered	Private	0	Covent Garden, Borough of Westminster, London WC2		sub
11 June 2021	Unregistered	Private	0	Hawkstone Park Motocross Circuit, near Shrewsbury, Shropshire		sub
5 September 2021	Unregistered	Private	0	Barnsley, South Yorkshire		sub
13 December 2021	Unregistered	Private	0	Traquair Forest, Traquair, Innerleithen, 7 miles South of Peebles		sub
15 December 2021	Unregistered	Private	0	Ipswich, Suffolk		sub
31 January 2023	unregistered	Private	0	Near Slough, Berkshire		sub
7 February 2023	unregistered	Private	0	Cantley Park, 108 Aintree Avenue, Doncaster, South Yorkshire		w/o
18 September 2023	unregistered	Private	0	near Northwich, Cheshire		w/o
17 October 2024	Unregistered	Private	0	Edinburgh, Lothian, Scotland		sub

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
06-Oct-2024 17:01	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Registration, Cn, Operator, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative, Category, ]