DOI Aviation Accident Prevention Bulletin 22-02 SOLO UAS Battery Life

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Overview

The DOI Aviation Accident Prevention Bulletin 22-02 SOLO UAS Battery Life () is a public-domain DOI Office of Aviation Services aviation safety document, republished here as a free chaptered HTML edition with a linked table of contents and the official PDF.

Publisher: DOI Office of Aviation Services
Document
Pages: 1

Key points

A test conducted on 3DR Solo batteries showed stable performance down to 35%.
Batteries at or below 30% exhibited rapid power reduction, with some dropping below 20% quickly.
All aircraft involved in the test were landed safely despite the battery issues.
Flights should not be conducted below a battery threshold of 35%, and planning should ensure termination before reaching this level.
Landing battery levels must be recorded on field forms to ensure compliance with safety practices.

Frequently asked questions

What was the main finding of the battery test?

The main finding was that 3DR Solo batteries performed reliably down to 35%, but below this threshold, they exhibited rapid power loss.

What should pilots do regarding battery levels during flights?

Pilots should not fly below a battery threshold of 35% and should plan to terminate flights before reaching this level.

What safety issue was highlighted by the battery test?

The safety issue highlighted was the significant power reduction experienced by batteries at or below 30%, which could affect flight safety.

How should battery levels be documented?

Landing battery levels should be recorded on field forms to document and ensure compliance with the revised safety practice.

Who can be contacted for more information regarding this bulletin?

For additional information, contact Steve Stroud at 208-830-8596 or Steve Ramaekers at 208-473-8708.

Document

OAS-43 (4/18)

Department of the Interior

Accident Prevention Bulletin

No. DOI APB 22-02 Date: March 25, 2022 Page 1 of 1 Subject: SOLO UAS Battery Life Area of Concern: Flight Safety Distribution: All Fire and Aviation Activities Discussion: Back in January, a Remote Pilot-in- Command (RPIC) conducted a test on a collection of original 3DR Solo batteries that had not been used in 27 months. Over 24 batteries were tested and all demonstrated stable and reliable performance down to 35%. At or below 30%, many of the batteries exhibited rapid and sometimes significant power reduction. In a few cases, the power dropped below 20% in a matter of seconds.

All aircraft were landed safely (SAFECOM #22- 0091 ) .

This test highlighted a safety of flight issue when the batteries are approaching 35%. As a result, 3DR solo batteries should not be flown below that threshold and flights should plan to terminate prior to reaching the 35% limitation. Landing battery levels should also be recorded on field forms to document and ensure compliance with this revised safety practice.

For additional information, please contact Steve Stroud, OAS UAS Division at 208-830-8596 / steven_stroud@ios.doi.gov or Steve Ramaekers, OAS UAS Division at 208-473-8708 / steven_ramaekers@ios.doi.gov .

/s/ Keith Raley Keith Raley Chief, Aviation Safety, Training, Program Evaluations and Quality Management