Company suspended from drone operations after device crash-lands into condo grounds in one-north

SINGAPORE - An aviation technology company has been suspended from operating unmanned aircraft (UA) after one of its drones crashed-landed in a condominium development in one-north on July 19.

The use of the drone, a Hexadrone Tundra 2, is also suspended, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said on Tuesday (July 23), adding that the affected drone is the only one of its make registered in Singapore.

On the day of the crash, the drone's commercial operator, H3 Dynamics Holdings, was conducting a series of flights at the one-north drone estate, over the Pixel Building, to develop a control station for the device.

At about 6pm, the drone flew outside the approved activity area on its eighth flight of the day and crash-landed on the grounds of One-North Residences, a 250m walk away from the Pixel Building. There were no reported injuries, the CAAS said.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the drone deviated from its planned route because of a faulty positioning sensor, the authority added. 

"We have suspended the operator and the use of the UA type as a safety pause while we conduct a full investigation into the incident," said CAAS director of unmanned systems policy, regulations and operations Maran Paramanathan.

"We urge all UA users to conduct UA activities safely and responsibly." 

One-north was announced in 2018 as Singapore's first drone estate, aimed at helping companies and research bodies test innovative unmanned aircraft systems and commercial uses in a controlled urban environment.

According to a recent media release on its website, H3 Dynamics offers a range of hydrogen products and services - including airships and unmanned system integration - to manufacturers, airports and enterprise clients worldwide. It has headquarters in Toulouse, France, Austin in the US, and counts Singapore as its Asia-Pacific base.

The Straits Times has contacted H3 Dynamics for comment.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.