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The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has completed its investigation into an unmanned aerial system (UAS) incident where a UAS crash-landed at One-North Residences in July 2024.
“On 19 July 2024, H3 Dynamics, a commercial UAS operator, was carrying out a series of test flights from the PIXEL building located in the One-North drone estate using a Hexadrone TUNDRA 2,” CAAS said. “At about 1800 hours, during the eighth test flight, the pilots lost control of the UAS shortly after take-off. The UAS hit the façade of a building at One-North Residences approximately 200m from the take-off location and crash-landed. A fire ensued which was quickly put out by residents. This resulted in damage to the UAS and burn marks on the floor. No injuries were reported.”
CAAS commenced an investigation into the incident and suspended the operations of H3 Dynamics and the use of Hexadrone TUNDRA 2 while the investigation was ongoing. CAAS has now completed the investigation and found that H3 Dynamics did not comply with some of the procedures stipulated in the operations manual submitted to CAAS during their application for an operator permit. Furthermore, the Hexadrone TUNDRA 2 UAS involved in the incident was found to be modified by H3 Dynamics. This modification was not made known to nor approved by CAAS. Following investigations, CAAS noted that the Hexadrone TUNDRA 2 base model was found to have no safety issues.
The investigation also found that one of the H3 Dynamics staff who operated the UAS flight did not possess a UAS pilot licence as required by air navigation regulations. CAAS said H3 Dynamics staff also did not comply with Centralised Flight Management System (CFMS) procedures as required. The CFMS serves to alert the UAS operator permit holder and CAAS when the UAS strays outside its approved flight area.
H3 Dynamics will now be charged in court for the offence of “operating the UAS in a manner that it ought reasonably to know could endanger the life or property of another person under the Air Navigation Act 19662”. If convicted, the company could face a fine.
The pilot who operated the flight has been issued a 12-month conditional warning for the offence of operating the UAS without a UAS pilot licence. The other pilot involved in the flight has also been issued a 12-month conditional warning for the offence of failing to be in active use of the CFMS mobile application during the UAS operations.
CAAS conducted two on-site audits on H3 Dynamics in August 2024 and September 2024 respectively, and issued four Corrective Action Notices to H3 Dynamics which required H3 Dynamics to review its operational control and ensure compliance with the operations manual approved by CAAS.
CAAS said on October 25 that H3 Dynamics has completed the corrective actions. “These included updating the training requirements for their UAS pilots and strengthening their safety procedures and processes, such as putting in place safeguards to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.”
CAAS has assessed H3 Dynamics’ corrective actions and is “satisfied that H3 Dynamics is able to comply with the regulatory requirements to conduct a reduced scope of UAS activities”. Effective 25 October 2024, CAAS will lift the suspension on H3 Dynamics imposed during the investigation and will allow H3 Dynamics to conduct commercial UAS operations, with the scope of its operator permit limited to the conduct of aerial photography and videography only. H3 Dynamics will no longer be allowed to conduct UAS operations for the purpose of flight test and flight demonstration. The company will also be subjected to increased frequency of safety audits after it resumes UAS operations.
Effective 25 October 2024, CAAS will also lift the suspension on the Hexadrone TUNDRA 2 base model.
As a result of the incident, CAAS initiated an industry-wide safety review on 23 July and required all UAS operator permit holders to review their safety procedures and processes. All UAS operator permit holders have now completed this safety review.
CAAS has updated its guidance materials to provide greater clarity on flight test operations and UAS modifications. The authority has also enhanced safety oversight surveillance on UAS operator permit holders who perform UAS modifications and flight testing through on-site audits.