Part 107 accident reporting: when and how to report a drone accident

If a Part 107 flight seriously injures someone, causes anyone to lose consciousness, or damages property other than the drone, the remote pilot in command has 10 calendar days to tell the FAA. Damage to the drone itself never counts, and property damage drops out when the repair would cost $500 or less, or when a destroyed item was worth $500 or less (14 CFR 107.9). You can file the report through FAADroneZone or by contacting your nearest FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) (FAA FAQ: How do I submit an accident report?). The rest of this guide shows how to apply each part of the rule.

The rule's name changed; the duty didn't

The current section is titled "Safety event reporting" (14 CFR 107.9). Until December 2022 it was titled "Accident reporting" (14 CFR 107.9 as of Dec. 8, 2022), and older FAA documents still use that name: AC 107-2A, published in 2021, calls it accident reporting (AC 107-2A, para. 4.4), and so does the current AIM (AIM 11-8-4). You will see both terms when you study. They refer to the same section and the same 10-day duty.

What has to be reported

There are two triggers, and either one is enough (14 CFR 107.9):

1. Injury. Any serious injury, or anyone losing consciousness. For "serious", AC 107-2A points to the Abbreviated Injury Scale: Level 3 or above, which it illustrates with injuries that put someone in hospital but heal completely, like a broken bone, head trauma or a cut that needs stitches (AC 107-2A, para. 4.4). Losing consciousness counts by itself, with no other injury needed (14 CFR 107.9(a)).
2. Property damage. Anything other than the drone, unless fixing it (parts and labor together) costs no more than $500, or, if it is beyond repair, it was worth no more than $500 (14 CFR 107.9(b)).

The $500 test: whichever is lower

The FAA's own summary puts the property test simply: report damage over $500 to repair or replace the property, whichever is lower (FAA FAQ: When do I need to report an accident?). That means you compare two numbers, the repair cost and the value of the property, and only the lower one decides. FAA guidance gives two examples (AC 107-2A, para. 4.4):

• A drone damages property worth $200, and the repair would cost $600. The value is below $500, so the accident doesn't have to be reported.
• A drone causes $200 of damage to property worth $600. The repair cost is below $500, so this one doesn't have to be reported either.

Whatever happens to your own aircraft is left out of the test entirely (14 CFR 107.9(b)). The AIM adds that the property in question is anything that isn't part of the drone system or attached to it (AIM 11-8-4).

The 10-day clock

You have 10 calendar days (14 CFR 107.9), and AC 107-2A starts the count at the flight that caused the harm (AC 107-2A, para. 4.4.1), so don't wait for a repair bill to arrive before you start. If you're unsure whether an event crosses the line, gather the facts straight away.

How to file the report

The FAA says Part 107 accident reports can be made through FAADroneZone, or by contacting your nearest FSDO (FAA FAQ: How do I submit an accident report?). AC 107-2A adds that a report can be made electronically or by telephone (AC 107-2A, para. 4.4.1). Whichever way you report, AC 107-2A lists what to include (AC 107-2A, para. 4.4.1):

• who you are and how to reach you, plus your FAA airman certificate number;
• the drone's registration number;
• where and when it happened, with the local time;
• whether anyone was seriously hurt or died;
• any property damaged and how much, if you know; and
• an account of what happened.

Keeping your certificate and registration numbers handy before every flight makes this quick if you ever need it.

The NTSB has its own rules

A drone crash may trigger a report to the FAA, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) or both. The NTSB's requirement for immediate notification is separate and distinct from the FAA's (AIM 11-8-4) (49 CFR 830.5). NTSB rules define an unmanned aircraft accident as an occurrence between the time the system is activated with the purpose of flight and the time it is deactivated at the end of its mission, in which anyone suffers death or serious injury, or in which an aircraft that holds an airworthiness certificate sustains substantial damage (49 CFR 830.2). The AIM adds that any midair collision involving a drone must be reported (AIM 11-8-4). The NTSB uses its own definitions of serious injury and substantial damage (49 CFR 830.2), so read them if a crash involves anyone getting hurt.

Emergencies are a different report

Don't mix this up with the in-flight emergency rule. When an emergency demands immediate action, you may break any Part 107 rule to the extent the emergency requires, and a written report of that deviation is due only when the FAA requests one (14 CFR 107.21). And safety event reporting can't be waived: 107.9 isn't on the list of rules a certificate of waiver can cover (14 CFR 107.205). Our guide to Part 107 waivers covers the rules that can be.

Four quick examples

1. A dented car. Your drone drops onto a parked car. The body shop quotes $350, and the car is worth far more. The lower figure is $350, so no report is needed (FAA FAQ: When do I need to report an accident?).
2. A cracked shop window. The drone clips a storefront and the glass has to be replaced for $900. The window was worth well over $500 too, so neither exception applies and you report within 10 calendar days (14 CFR 107.9(b)).
3. A fainting spectator. The drone clips a person who briefly loses consciousness, then recovers. Any loss of consciousness is reportable, whatever the injury (14 CFR 107.9(a)).
4. A lost drone. The drone flies into a lake and is destroyed. Nothing else is damaged and no one is hurt. Only your own aircraft was damaged, so there is nothing to report (14 CFR 107.9(b)).

Remember it for the test

The numbers to know are 10 calendar days and $500, plus the two triggers. They are on our Part 107 key numbers page with the rest of the figures worth memorizing. Check yourself with the free Part 107 practice test, and see how to study for the Part 107 test for a plan. For a full lesson on safety event reporting, waivers and the alcohol and drug rules, plus timed mock exams, Part 107 Complete is a one-time $39.

Questions people ask

How long do I have to report a drone accident to the FAA?

No later than 10 calendar days after the flight, if it caused a serious injury, any loss of consciousness, or more than $500 of damage to property other than the drone.

Do I have to report it if only my drone was damaged?

No. Under 14 CFR 107.9, damage to the small unmanned aircraft itself never makes a flight reportable.

Where do I file a Part 107 accident report?

The FAA says reports can be made through FAADroneZone or by contacting your nearest FAA Flight Standards District Office.

Do I also have to tell the NTSB?

Sometimes. NTSB rules are separate from the FAA rule and require immediate notification of certain accidents, including any in which someone is killed or seriously injured. The AIM also says any midair collision involving a drone must be reported.

What counts as a serious injury?

FAA guidance in AC 107-2A uses Level 3 or higher on the Abbreviated Injury Scale, for example an injury that needs hospitalization but can fully heal, such as a broken bone or a cut that needs stitches.