Discussion

Case Study RPA Incidents The first nine chapters in this book have profiled a major aviation accident linked to the chapter topic, but RPAS operations are based on an emerging technology and therefore (thankfully), there has not been a major RPA accident in civil aviation. There have been some incidents, however, each which raise interesting questions. Consider the following examples:

• In 2016, an Airbus A320 operated by British Airways was believed to have struck an RPA on its approach to land at London’s Heathrow Airport, making international headlines as the first incident of its kind. There was no damage to the aircraft. After having received international attention, the situation turned out to have been simply a strike with a plastic bag rather than an RPA.

• In 2015, an out-of-control RPA crashed on the lawn of the White House (the home of the President of the United States). The operator was not charged as he was not in control of the RPA at the time. That same year, an RPA carrying more than six pounds (2.7 kilograms) of methamphetamine (illegal drugs) crashed into the parking lot of a supermarket in Tijuana, Mexico. It is believed that the drugs were intended to be smuggled over the border into the US.

• Also in 2015, an RPA with a built-in camera and a bottle containing an unknown substance (emitting radiation) landed on the roof of the Japanese Prime Minister’s office.

• In 2014, an Australian triathlete sustained a head injury when she was hit with an RPA being used to film the competition. The photographer operating the RPA claimed an attacker had wrestled control away from him, which led to the loss of control.

• In 2013, a small RPA flew within a few feet of the German Chancellor at a campaign rally before crashing into the stage at her feet. The RPA was operated as a protest and raised concerns about the threat of weaponized devices.