This is an excerpt from a report made to the Aviation Safety Reporting System. The narrative is written by the pilot, rather than FAA or NTSB officials. To maintain anonymity, many details, such as aircraft model or airport, are often scrubbed from the reports.
I was conducting an aerial application flight on a field in the Air Tractor 502.
When I arrived to the field I circled it several times to look for obstacles. While doing this recon I noticed a truck parked 1/4 mile south of the field. I circled again and noticed that it was an unmanned spray drone operator conducting an application on that field. At the time he had just landed the drone on the back of the truck.
I did not see an issue since I would be a 1/4 mile away. I also was under the assumption that the drone would stay down low in the field since they were, in fact, spraying that field. So I proceeded with my application.
I flew my field using east/west passes. After about 15-20 minutes I was done but still had to make a trim pass on both ends of the field. Those would be done north/south in this case. I did the west side first, circled around to the north and finished with a southbound pass on the east side of the field.
As soon as I pulled up out of the field from that pass, I saw the drone at my 2 o’clock, about 80-100 feet above me, at maybe 1,000 feet horizontally at the most. I abruptly pulled up to further ensure I wouldn’t hit it.
The issue here is that the drone should never have been at that high of an altitude in the first place. A spray drone flies low in the field just like we do, so it should not have been a factor in this case. They are too hard to see until you are very close.
I also circled the operator at roughly 300-400 feet AGL several times so they had to know of my presence.
If they had any reason to fly the drone that high they should have waited until I left the area at the very least. Why they did this I have no idea, but had I have been in a slightly different angle on that pass I would have almost for sure hit the drone.
Drone operators should yield to manned vehicles at all times. It should be their responsibility to stay clear and keep separation. I am not exactly sure what needs to be done about this, but low-flying pilots of any kind need to remain vigilant.
Primary Problem: Human Factors
ACN: 2145580
For commercial licensed drone pilot, 400 ft AGL is an FAA limit, the exception is tower inspections etc. I’ve never had to go above 400 feet for mapping/thermal and I can see ADSB on my flight control screen. So I drop down when any manned aircraft comes remotely near me. Plus I am listening on the radio. Honestly if the Ag pilot had circled me and not made radio contact I would probably assume, for safety, that he wanted me on the ground until he had completed his passes.
Sounds like someone didn’t pay attention to the training material.
A drone photographer informed me drones in southern New Jersey are limited to 400 feet AGL.
Does anyone know if this is true, and a federal or state law?
400 feet is an FAA rule. There are exceptions, but not many.
Yes. 400 ft aAGL unless inspecting a structure then you are allowed to go another 400ft above the structure, also waivers and other authorizations allow you to deviate altitudes. FAA regulation, so federal.
This drone pilot was clearly not abiding by the regulations.