What accidents are required to be reported under 14 CFR Part 107?

Under 14 CFR Part 107.9, a remote pilot in command must report an sUAS accident to the FAA within 10 calendar days if it results in serious injury to any person or any loss of consciousness, or if it causes damage to any property other than the sUAS that is at least $500 to repair or replace. Minor incidents, near misses, or damage only to the drone itself do not trigger the mandatory reporting requirement. Understanding these thresholds is essential for the FAA Unmanned Aircraft General — Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Knowledge Test.

How do you report a Part 107 sUAS accident to the FAA?

A remote pilot must report a qualifying accident to the FAA within 10 calendar days of the operation, as required by 14 CFR Part 107.9. Reports are submitted through the FAA's online Drone Zone portal (dronenezone.faa.gov) or by contacting the nearest FAA Flight Standards District Office. The report should include details about the operation, the nature of the injury or property damage, and the circumstances of the accident.

What is the difference between an sUAS accident and an sUAS incident under Part 107?

Under 14 CFR Part 107, an accident is specifically defined by thresholds — serious injury, loss of consciousness, or property damage of at least $500 — and triggers a mandatory 10-day FAA reporting requirement per 14 CFR 107.9. An incident is a broader term for an occurrence that does not meet those specific thresholds and generally does not carry the same mandatory FAA reporting obligation under Part 107. Remote pilots should understand this distinction clearly, as it is a commonly tested concept on the FAA Unmanned Aircraft General — Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Knowledge Test.

Part 107 Accident Reporting Requirements

When a small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) is involved in an accident, the FAA needs to know about it — but not every mishap triggers a formal reporting requirement. Under 14 CFR Part 107, a remote pilot in command (RPIC) has a specific, legally defined obligation to report certain accidents to the FAA. Understanding exactly which events require reporting, how quickly you must report, and what information you must provide is both a practical responsibility and a frequently tested knowledge area on the FAA Part 107 Aeronautical Knowledge Test.

This article breaks down the accident reporting rule in plain language, explains the thresholds that trigger a report, walks through the mechanics of filing, and highlights the nuances that trip up many applicants on exam day.

What the Regulation Actually Says

The core accident reporting requirement lives in 14 CFR § 107.9. In plain terms, the rule says that a remote pilot in command must report an sUAS accident to the FAA within 10 calendar days of the operation if the accident meets at least one of two specific thresholds. Those thresholds relate to either human injury or property damage. If neither threshold is crossed, there is no FAA reporting obligation under Part 107 — though other laws or local ordinances may still apply.

It is worth emphasizing the word calendar days. This is not business days, not 10 flying days — it is 10 consecutive calendar days from the date of the accident. The clock starts the day the accident occurs.

The Two Reporting Thresholds

To trigger the Part 107 accident reporting requirement, at least one of the following conditions must be met:

Serious injury to any person. The injury must rise to the level of a serious injury as defined in the regulation. A serious injury is one that qualifies as Level 3 or higher on the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS). Practically speaking, this includes injuries that require hospitalization, involve fractures (other than simple fractures of fingers, toes, or nose), cause severe hemorrhage or nerve damage, or involve internal organ damage. A minor cut, bruise, or scrape does not meet this threshold.
Property damage of at least $500. This refers to damage to property other than the sUAS itself. If the drone crashes into someone's fence, car, or building and causes $500 or more in damage to that property, a report is required. Damage to the sUAS alone — no matter how expensive the aircraft — does not trigger the reporting requirement on its own.

Both thresholds are important to memorize separately, because the FAA knowledge test likes to test them individually. The injury threshold is about severity, not just the fact that someone was hurt. The property threshold is about damage to someone else's property, not the drone itself.

How to File the Report

When an accident meets either threshold, the remote pilot in command is personally responsible for making the report. The report is submitted to the FAA's Drone Zone portal (the same web-based system used for sUAS registration and waiver applications) or by contacting the appropriate FAA Regional Operations Center (ROC). The FAA has indicated that the preferred method is the online Drone Zone portal, which is available at faadronezone.faa.gov.

The report must include information such as the remote pilot's name and contact information, the sUAS registration number, the date and location of the accident, a description of what happened, and details about any injuries or property damage. The goal is to give the FAA enough information to understand the nature and circumstances of the event. Providing accurate, complete information is important — deliberately falsifying information submitted to the FAA can result in certificate action and potential criminal liability.

Who Is Responsible for Reporting

The obligation to report rests with the remote pilot in command. In a Part 107 operation, the RPIC is the person responsible for the safe outcome of the flight, and that responsibility extends to post-accident reporting. If a visual observer or a person manipulating the controls under the RPIC's supervision is involved in the accident, the RPIC is still the one who must file the report. Delegation does not relieve the RPIC of this duty.

It is also worth noting that the reporting requirement under § 107.9 applies regardless of whether the flight was being conducted under a standard Part 107 authorization or under a waiver. If the operation is governed by Part 107, the accident reporting rule applies.

What Does NOT Require a Report

Understanding the boundaries of the rule is just as important as knowing when reporting is required. The following scenarios do not trigger the Part 107 reporting obligation:

Damage only to the sUAS itself, even if the aircraft is completely destroyed and is worth thousands of dollars.
Minor injuries — cuts, bruises, or other non-serious harm that do not reach the AIS Level 3 threshold.
Accidents occurring during recreational flying governed by Section 44809 of Title 49 (the exception for recreational flyers). Part 107 accident reporting only applies to Part 107 operations, not to hobbyist operations under the recreational exception.
Near-misses or incidents where no actual injury or qualifying property damage occurred. A close call is not an accident under this rule, though voluntary reporting through the Aviation Safety Hotline or NASA's ASRS (Aviation Safety Reporting System) is always encouraged for safety data purposes.

Key Numbers and Rules

10 calendar days — the deadline to report after an accident.
Serious injury (AIS Level 3 or higher) — the injury threshold that triggers reporting.
At least $500 in property damage — the damage threshold (property other than the sUAS).
Either threshold triggers the requirement — only one condition needs to be met.
Damage only to the sUAS itself does not require a report.
Report is filed with the FAA (Drone Zone portal or FAA Regional Operations Center).
The remote pilot in command bears the reporting responsibility.

Why This Rule Matters in Practice

Accident reporting serves a critical safety function in the National Airspace System. The FAA uses accident data to identify trends, update regulations, develop safety guidance, and assess whether certain types of operations or equipment pose unacceptable risks. If sUAS accidents go unreported, the FAA loses the data it needs to make informed regulatory decisions that protect the public.

From a practical standpoint, failing to report when required can result in civil penalties and administrative action against your Remote Pilot Certificate. The FAA takes regulatory compliance seriously, and the 10-day window gives pilots enough time to assess the situation and gather information while still ensuring timely data collection. If you are ever in doubt about whether an accident meets the reporting threshold, the prudent course of action is to report — an unnecessary report carries far less risk than a missed required report.

Additionally, remote pilots should be aware that an FAA accident report is separate from any law enforcement reporting that local ordinances may require, as well as separate from insurance claims. Those processes run in parallel and do not substitute for the FAA filing.

Common Test Traps

Confusing the damage threshold. The $500 threshold applies to damage to other people's property, not to the drone itself. A $2,000 drone that is totaled in a crash does not require an FAA report unless someone else's property was damaged to at least $500 or someone was seriously injured.
Forgetting the time limit is calendar days. The rule says 10 calendar days, not 10 business days or 10 working days. Weekends and holidays count.
Assuming any injury triggers reporting. Only a serious injury (AIS Level 3+) requires a report. A minor scrape or bruise does not meet the threshold, even though someone was technically hurt.
Thinking the rule applies to recreational flyers. Part 107 accident reporting only applies to Part 107 commercial or non-recreational operations. Hobbyist flights under the recreational exception follow a different framework.
Believing a near-miss requires a report. A close call with another aircraft or a building — where no qualifying injury or damage actually occurred — does not trigger the § 107.9 reporting requirement, though voluntary reporting is a safety best practice.