AsianScientist (Aug. 31, 2016) – Researchers in Australia have found technical problems rather than operator errors to be behind the majority of drone accidents, according to to a study published in the journal Aerospace.
Researchers Dr. Graham Wild and Dr. Glenn Baxter from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University’s School of Engineering, along with John Murray from Edith Cowan University, completed the first examination of more than 150 reported civil incidents around the world involving drones, or remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS).
The study showed technical problems were the cause of 64 percent of the incidents, which occurred between 2006 and 2016. They found that in most cases, broken communications links between the pilot and the RPAS were the cause of the incident, leading the researchers to call for the introduction of commercial aircraft-type regulations to govern the communications systems.
“Large transport category aircraft, such as those from a Boeing or Airbus, are required to have triple redundant systems for their communications,” Wild said. “But drones don’t and some of the improvements that have reduced the risks in those aircraft could also be used to improve the safety of drones.”
Part of the problem with current regulations is related to the large difference in size between those drones that required licences and those that didn’t, Wild said, adding that their findings illustrated the need for mandatory reporting of all accidents or incidents.
The article can be found at: Wild et al. (2016) Exploring Civil Drone Accidents and Incidents to Help Prevent Potential Air Disasters.
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Source: RMIT University; Photo: Pixabay.
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