Drone exam · Operational procedures

A drone is moving toward a populated road after a control fault, and the pilot still has access to a manufacturer provided flight termination function. What should the emergency plan have established in advance?

Answer

It should define the conditions under which terminating the flight in a lower consequence area is safer than allowing the aircraft to continue toward a greater hazard, together with the limitations and effects of that function.

Explanation

Flight termination is a serious action and should not be improvised. When the alternative is an uncontrolled flyaway, a preplanned termination decision can reduce the overall harm.