Preflight inspections and emergencies

Preflight is more than checking whether the battery is charged. Review the aircraft and payload for damage, loose fasteners, propeller cracks, arm security, battery condition, connectors, sensors, and firmware or configuration changes. Confirm the control link, command station, GNSS and compass status, home point, failsafe behavior, Remote ID status where required, and enough energy for the full mission plus a return reserve. Follow the manufacturer's checklist and document defects instead of accepting an informal assurance that the aircraft worked yesterday.

Inspect the operation too: airspace authorization and its limits, NOTAMs and restrictions, weather, ground hazards, people, obstacles, launch and recovery areas, crew roles, communications, and emergency landing options. Brief lost-link behavior, traffic calls, low-battery threshold, abort phrase, and who takes action. A visual observer must know what to scan and how to report it. If the crew cannot explain the plan, delay launch until roles and contingencies are clear.

For a lost control link, follow the aircraft's verified failsafe behavior and manufacturer's emergency procedure. Do not assume return-to-home will clear trees, wires, structures, or aircraft. A preflight home-point check and safe return altitude matter. For low battery, stop task work early and prioritize a controlled landing; a warning is not a reserve policy. For unexpected drift, vibration, or control response, stop maneuvering toward people and choose the safest landing area while control remains.

For a flyaway, maintain situational awareness, use available control or recovery procedures, and avoid chasing the aircraft into a worse area. Note last known location, direction, altitude, time, and nearby hazards. Notify relevant authorities when required or appropriate, especially if the aircraft creates an immediate hazard or enters restricted airspace. After any abnormal event, secure the aircraft and batteries, preserve logs, and inspect before returning it to service. Never launch again simply because the immediate symptom disappears.

Under §107.9, the remote pilot must report to the FAA within 10 calendar days an operation that results in serious injury to any person or loss of consciousness, or damage to property other than the small unmanned aircraft when the cost to repair it exceeds $500, or the fair market value of property that is a total loss exceeds $500. The regulation specifies the information the report must contain. This is a specific regulatory trigger; also follow emergency-response, law-enforcement, insurance, employer, and client procedures that may apply independently.

After an incident, protect people first, coordinate emergency services when needed, and avoid altering evidence unnecessarily. Preserve flight logs, maintenance history, battery data, weather and authorization records, photographs, and crew notes. Separate what was observed from what is inferred. Reporting is not an admission of cause; it supports safety review and helps establish an accurate record. Check the current regulation and FAA reporting pathway because procedures and contact details can change.