Build an Emergency Action Plan
Pre-plan immediate actions for traffic, low battery, control loss, flyaway, unexpected people, and forced landing.
YOU WILL BE ABLE TO
- 01Identify the rule, source, or principle behind this idea: The priority is to maintain control when possible, protect people and aircraft, and land or recover safely.
- 02Explain the operational effect of this idea: Alternate landing areas and crew calls should be chosen before launch.
- 03Apply the lesson to a new mission and defend a go, modify, or no-go decision.
01 / MISSION
Begin with the operating problem.
An unexpected crewed aircraft and low-battery warning occur while the drone is above an empty portion of the site.
02 / CORE BRIEF
What the remote pilot needs to know.
The priority is to maintain control when possible, protect people and aircraft, and land or recover safely.
Alternate landing areas and crew calls should be chosen before launch.
Emergency deviation authority is limited to what is necessary to address the in-flight emergency.
03 / PILOT DECISION
Make the call.
Yield immediately using the safest predictable path, land at the nearest protected alternate, then document the event.
04 / FIELD CHECK
Put it into the flight plan.
Point to the primary and alternate landing zones during the crew brief.
05 / KNOWLEDGE CHECK
Does emergency authority permit any convenient rule deviation?
Reveal the debrief
No. A deviation must be necessary to meet the in-flight emergency and may require a report if requested.
RELATED FAA REFERENCES
Verify before you fly.
Educational summary only. Current regulation, FAA approval conditions, manufacturer instructions, and site-specific facts control the operation.