
Why did the RTH function not work on Parrot drone?


Though the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) does not specify a minimum time for drone pilot currency, police forces in the country typically require qualified users to fly the aircraft for a minimum of two hours within a rolling 90-day period. The drone was found undamaged the next day in a playground more than three miles north of the takeoff point.Īlso read: Police in Canada use drone to bust driver doing double the speed limit Need for better police drone training? He recalled that he pressed RTH once again to cancel the command, but the drone continued to fly in a northerly direction until it was out of sight and the screen of the controller went black.

The blue LED visibility light on the aircraft also became harder to see, the pilot told the investigators.Īs he was uncertain of the orientation of the drone, the pilot activated the Return to Home (RTH) function but the aircraft did not fly toward the takeoff point as he expected. However, as he gradually positioned the drone to hover over the quarry – approximately 120 meters away from the takeoff point – the pilot became aware of the presence of mist in the area. The pilot had completed preflight checks and checked the weather forecast before the flight.

During a search operation in the Oxfordshire countryside, a UK police drone lost connection with the controller and was found miles away in a children’s playground the next day, a report by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has found.Īccording to the report, a $7,000 Parrot Anafi USA drone was being operated at night above a quarry to support search operations by Thames Valley Police.
