The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is overestimating the “severity and likelihood of risks” in drone operations, taking actions that create obstacles to the development of rapidly changing drone technology, according to a report by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS).
The report, made public today, says the FAA has been overly cautious in its safety risk assessments and suggests that the agency needs to evaluate risks associated with drones using a different approach than the one it takes in evaluating risks involving manned aircraft.
“The fear of making a mistake drives a risk culture at FAA, particularly with regard to drone activities, which do not pose a direct threat to human life in the same way as technologies used in manned aircraft,” the report says. “The focus of the FAA…
