What should I do if my drone loses control or malfunctions during flight under Part 107?

If your small UAS experiences a loss of control or critical malfunction, your immediate priority is to minimize risk to people and property on the ground, which may mean executing an emergency landing in the safest available area even if it results in damage to the aircraft. Part 107.19 places the responsibility on the remote pilot in command to have direct oversight and control, and to take corrective action as quickly as possible. You should avoid densely populated areas and active roadways when selecting an emergency landing site, and never attempt to recover the aircraft at the expense of public safety.

Does a drone crash or flyaway need to be reported to the FAA under Part 107?

Yes, Part 107.9 requires the remote pilot in command to report any sUAS accident to the FAA within 10 calendar days if it results in serious injury to any person (as defined by reference to 49 CFR 830.2, which includes hospitalization for more than 48 hours, certain bone fractures, severe hemorrhages, or other specified severe injuries), loss of consciousness, or property damage (other than to the sUAS itself) in excess of $500 for repair or fair market replacement value. Reports are submitted to the FAA through the online Drone Zone portal. Failure to report a qualifying accident is a violation of Part 107 and could jeopardize your remote pilot certificate.

What's the difference between a precautionary landing and a forced landing for a drone?

A precautionary landing is performed while the remote pilot still has some degree of control and chooses to land early due to a developing problem, such as a low battery warning or a GPS error, before the situation becomes critical. A forced landing occurs when continued flight is no longer possible and the remote pilot must land immediately regardless of terrain or location, such as during a total loss of power or a flyaway event. The Remote Pilot Airman Certification Standard emphasizes that good aeronautical decision-making — including recognizing early warning signs and acting promptly — is the key to keeping a manageable situation from becoming an uncontrolled emergency.

Emergency Landing Procedures for sUAS

Flying a small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) commercially under 14 CFR Part 107 carries the same fundamental responsibility as any aviation operation: the pilot in command is accountable for the safety of the flight. Unlike manned aircraft, an sUAS emergency rarely endangers the pilot directly, but it absolutely can endanger people and property on the ground. A loss of control, power failure, fly-away, or sudden equipment malfunction can transform a routine commercial shoot or inspection into a rapidly evolving crisis. Understanding emergency landing procedures — what to do, where to land, and what you must report afterward — is essential knowledge for both the Part 107 knowledge test and real-world operations.

The Federal Aviation Administration does not publish a single prescriptive checklist for sUAS emergencies the way it does for manned aircraft, but 14 CFR Part 107 establishes clear obligations, and the Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge principles of aeronautical decision-making (ADM) apply equally to remote pilots. The remote pilot in command (RPIC) must continuously assess risk and be prepared to execute an emergency landing at any point during the operation.

Types of sUAS Emergencies

Before discussing procedure, it helps to understand the range of emergencies a remote pilot may face. Broadly, these fall into several categories:

Power failure: Battery depletion, cell failure, or a disconnected power lead causes the aircraft to lose thrust entirely. Most multi-rotor sUAS have no gliding capability; without power, the aircraft falls.
Loss of control link: The radio frequency link between the control station and the aircraft is interrupted. Many sUAS enter a pre-programmed fail-safe mode — such as hovering in place, returning to home, or auto-landing — but the RPIC may have limited or no ability to override these actions.
Fly-away: A GPS or compass malfunction, electromagnetic interference, or software error causes the aircraft to drift or fly uncontrolled in an unintended direction. Fly-aways are among the most dangerous sUAS failures because the aircraft may rapidly exit the visual line of sight (VLOS) requirement under 14 CFR §107.31.
Mechanical failure: A propeller fracture, motor failure, or frame crack can destabilize or destroy a multi-rotor's flight capability. Single motor-out on a quad-rotor is typically unrecoverable; higher motor-count platforms may have limited redundancy.
Payload or equipment malfunction: A shifting or detaching payload changes the aircraft's center of gravity or, in a worst case, falls onto people below.
Environmental hazards: Sudden wind gusts, precipitation, or icing can exceed the aircraft's performance envelope, requiring immediate diversion to a safe landing area.

Decision-Making During an Emergency

The risk management handbook principles used in manned aviation translate directly to sUAS operations. When an emergency begins, the RPIC should immediately prioritize three things in order: (1) protect people on the ground, (2) protect property, and (3) preserve the aircraft if safely possible. The aircraft itself is the lowest priority. Never attempt heroic maneuvers to save expensive equipment at the cost of bystander safety.

Situational awareness is critical. Before the flight even begins, a well-prepared RPIC has identified at least one suitable emergency landing area within the operating zone — an open field, a parking lot, or any unpopulated surface where an uncontrolled descent would cause minimal harm. This pre-flight planning step is part of responsible sUAS operations and should be documented in a site-specific operations plan when required by the operator's safety framework.

When an emergency occurs in flight, execute these actions as quickly as your situation allows:

Assess immediately. Identify the nature and severity of the problem. Is the aircraft still controllable? Is it heading toward people?
Clear people and property. If you have control, maneuver the aircraft away from bystanders, crowds, vehicles, and structures before attempting a landing.
Select the safest available landing area. Aim for the emergency landing zone identified during pre-flight planning, or the best alternative visible from your position.
Communicate. Alert your visual observer (VO), if you have one, and any ground crew to clear the landing area and warn bystanders.
Execute the landing. Bring the aircraft down as controlled as conditions allow. In a total power failure on a multi-rotor, there may be no flare or cushioning — the goal is to minimize altitude above the safest available surface when failure occurs.
Secure the scene. After landing, prevent bystanders from handling a potentially damaged aircraft. A failed battery can vent toxic gases or catch fire (thermal runaway in lithium polymer batteries is a real hazard). Keep people back until the aircraft is confirmed safe.

The Part 107 Prohibition on Endangering People

14 CFR §107.23 prohibits a remote pilot from operating an sUAS in a careless or reckless manner so as to endanger the life or property of another. This is the sUAS equivalent of the general operating rules in Part 91. Even during an emergency, the RPIC is expected to make every reasonable effort to direct a failing aircraft away from people. Courts and FAA enforcement have held operators accountable for fly-overs of crowds even when equipment failure was cited — the premise being that proper pre-flight risk assessment should have anticipated such scenarios and the operation should not have been conducted, or should have included safety measures such as barriers.

Additionally, §107.19 makes the RPIC responsible for the safe outcome of the entire operation. There is no carve-out for equipment failure. If your aircraft falls on a person, the regulatory and legal scrutiny will focus on whether you exercised appropriate risk management before and during the flight.

Waiver Considerations During Emergencies

Some Part 107 waivers allow operations that would otherwise be prohibited — for example, operations over moving vehicles or people (§107.39 waiver) or beyond visual line of sight (§107.31 waiver). If your waiver includes a specific emergency procedure or lost-link procedure, you are required to follow it. Operating under a waiver does not suspend your obligations under §107.23; it expands your authority while requiring you to meet the safety case that justified the waiver. In an emergency, any waiver-specific contingency plan takes precedence over ad hoc improvisation.

Post-Emergency Obligations: Accident Reporting

After any in-flight emergency that results in a significant outcome, the RPIC must determine whether the event meets the FAA's definition of an sUAS accident under 14 CFR §107.9. An accident requiring a report to the FAA within 10 calendar days has occurred if:

The operation results in serious injury to any person (defined by reference to 49 CFR 830.2 as, among other things, hospitalization for more than 48 hours, a bone fracture other than a simple fracture of fingers, toes, or the nose, severe hemorrhages or nerve, muscle, or tendon damage, internal organ injury, or second- or third-degree burns over more than 5% of the body), or
The operation results in loss of consciousness to any person, or
The operation causes damage to any property other than the sUAS itself, and that damage exceeds $500 to repair or fair market value to replace.

The report is made to the FAA through the designated reporting process. Failing to file a required accident report is itself a regulatory violation and can affect your Part 107 certificate. Note the $500 threshold: minor paint scratches or a cracked plastic housing on a fence may fall below the threshold, but any structural damage to a vehicle, structure, or significant property almost certainly will not. When in doubt, report.

It is equally important to document the emergency internally, regardless of whether an FAA report is required. Photograph the landing site and aircraft damage, note GPS logs and telemetry data if available, record weather conditions, and write a narrative account while the details are fresh. This documentation protects you legally and helps identify the failure mode so it can be corrected.

Preventive Maintenance and Pre-Flight Inspection

The best emergency procedure is the one you never have to use. 14 CFR §107.15 requires the remote pilot to ensure the sUAS is in a condition for safe operation before each flight. This means a thorough pre-flight inspection: checking propeller integrity (cracks, chips, or deformations), motor mounts, frame arms, battery state of charge and cell health, control link connectivity, GPS lock, and any payload attachments. Battery-related failures are the leading cause of sUAS in-flight emergencies; always check cell voltage balance and retire batteries showing significant puffing, capacity loss, or charge imbalance.

Under §107.49, the RPIC must also ensure that the aircraft's operating limitations are not exceeded — including maximum wind speed, temperature range, and payload capacity. Pushing an aircraft beyond its published limits is not just a regulatory violation; it dramatically increases the probability of the kind of emergency discussed throughout this article.

Key Numbers and Rules

10 calendar days: Deadline to report a qualifying sUAS accident to the FAA under §107.9.
$500: Property damage threshold (excluding the sUAS) that triggers the accident reporting requirement.
§107.23: Prohibits careless or reckless operation endangering life or property — applies during emergencies.
§107.19: RPIC is responsible for the safe outcome of the flight at all times.
§107.15: Aircraft must be in a condition for safe operation before each flight.
§107.49: Pre-flight familiarization with manufacturer's operating limitations required.

Common Test Traps

Confusing the reporting threshold: The $500 threshold applies to property other than the sUAS. Damage solely to your own aircraft, no matter how expensive, does not trigger the §107.9 reporting requirement (though serious injury or loss of consciousness still does, regardless of property damage).
Getting the deadline wrong: The accident report is due within 10 calendar days, not 48 hours or 72 hours. Some students confuse this with manned aircraft reporting timeframes.
Thinking waivers remove safety obligations: A Part 107 waiver expands operational authority but does not remove the RPIC's responsibility under §107.23 to avoid endangering people. Emergency procedures required by the waiver must still be followed.
Assuming auto-return-to-home is always safe: Fail-safe return-to-home can itself create hazards if the return path crosses a crowd or a busy roadway. RPICs must understand their aircraft's fail-safe behavior and pre-plan the home point carefully.
Neglecting LiPo fire risk post-crash: The knowledge test expects you to understand that a damaged lithium polymer battery can enter thermal runaway. Securing the scene and preventing bystander contact is part of the emergency procedure, not an afterthought.