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NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) - UAS Safety in Sight

June 2024

Airspace Jigsaw Puzzle

One of the goals of NASA ASRS UAS Safety Reporting is to share reports with lessons learned and best practices. When reporters describe their insights and reflect on their experiences, they contribute to UAS safety by offering valuable tips that others in the UAS community may be able apply to their operations. 


In this issue, we offer a report that chronicles a drone pilot trying to identify the location of airspace. Confusion evolved around Class E (controlled) and Class G (uncontrolled) airspace boundaries and when controlled airspace was in effect. 


Although this report describes a problem in Class E airspace, the lessons learned can apply to all types of airspace. As this reporter discovered, it is important to check multiple resources for critical airspace information needed for the planned flight. 

ACN: 2059475

Prior to the UAS flight, the airspace and weather were checked and preflight checklists were completed using a commercially available 3rd party mobile app. The app indicated BRD [airport] was nearby but did not show the Class E airspace boundary or indicate a LAANC approval was required.  


After the flight was completed, I, the UAS Operator, went to log the flight in the 3rd party app and the app stopped working and restarted. Once the app restarted it showed the UAS operation area was at the very edge of a 400 ft. LAANC required airspace. I assumed the flight area was in Class G airspace as no LAANC boundary was initially displayed in the 3rd party mobile app. I should have verified the airspace class prior to UAS operations and not relied solely on the mobile app to show airspace boundaries.  


I assumed the airport was a non 24 hour Class E airport that reverted to Class G during non scheduled times. While the airport is non 24 hour Class E airspace, the UAS flight was conducted when the Class E airspace was active. No manned aircraft were observed during the entire duration of the UAS flight activity. In the future I will not solely rely on the graphic depiction of Class E airspace on 3rd party apps to verify airspace prior to flights near airports. The active hours of the airspace will be verified prior to flights.

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