If you were reading about drones on the internet last week, you probably saw an article showing an impact test between a DJI Phantom drone and an aircraft wing. Done at the University of Dayton Research Institute, the researchers claimed that it realistically depicts what could happen if a drone and a plane were to collide.
Since then, it was revealed that the impact video was “staged to create a scenario inconceivable in real life” according to DJI, whose Phantom drone was shown in the video.
DJI says that UDRI has not disclosed its testing methodology, and that “a similar test with a simulated bird cause more apparent damage” however UDRI only promoted the video showing damage from a drone.
DJI’s Vice President of Policy & Legal Affairs wrote that UDRI “recklessly created and promoted a video that falsely claims to depict a dangerous condition posed by one of our products….Your public comments deliberately present an entirely improbable, if not impossible, event as a commonplace risk routinely faced by airline pilots.”
DJI called out UDRI for completing the test at a simlulated airspeed that is 16 to 35 mph faster than FAA crash test parameters. DJI claimes the “video deliberately created a more damaging scenario, and was widely cited as evidence for what could happen to a large commercial jet — even though the Mooney M20 is a small plane with four seats.”
You can read the full text of DJI’s demands and letter here.
Since the initial release of the test video by UDRI, the story has been rebroadcast by every major news agency that could have caused widespread misinformation damaging to DJI. If DJI’s claims are proven correct, this could also be damaging to UDRI’s credibility.
Under FAA guidelines in the United States, recreational drone operators must fly their aircraft within line of sight below 400 feet and never within the Class B airspace (usually 5 mile radius) of airports.
DJI. a private Chinese company, is the dominant player in the drone industry with an estimated 70% or greater share of the global drone market. DJI’s drones are used extensively in Hollywood and television productions, news gathering, commercial & enterprise applications and recreationally.
