Drones down: UK police forced to ground UAVs after reported crashes
Police in the UK have been forced to ground some of their drones after a mysterious glitch caused several unmanned aircraft to fall right out of the sky.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued a warning about the drones, explaining that several DJI Matrice 200 series vehicles have unexpectedly experienced “complete loss of power during flight.”
“In each case, this resulted in the aircraft falling directly to the ground due to the immediate loss of lift with the remote pilot unable to control its subsequent flight path,” the notice said.
The incidents happened even though the drones appeared to still have battery power. No injuries or property damage have been reported, but the drones affected were damaged in the crash, the CAA confirmed.
In the most recent incident, a West Midlands Police drone “experienced an in-flight issue” and had to land on the roof of a commercial property, according to the BBC. The force “immediately grounded the model” and referred the matter to the CAA.
The agency’s security notice has effectively grounded all drones of that particular model, banning any flight that involves “overflight of any persons at any height until further notice.” The CAA also urged drone owners to update firmware and batteries and to test the drones in sterile areas.
Drone manufacturer DJI has responded by saying it was reviewing reports of power issues with the M200 Series.
"Our engineers are thoroughly reviewing each customer case and working to address this matter urgently,” the company said.
According to an INews report, 31 out of the UK’s 45 police forces own or have access to drones, which are primarily used for surveillance but also to aid in search and rescue efforts.
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