A Robinson R44 helicopter on an agricultural spraying flight and a DJI Phantom 4 drone being used to map a construction area collided this week near Petah-Tiqwa, Israel, prompting a call from the chief accident investigator for a procedural review.
No one was injured in the Aug. 14 collision, according to the report by the Ministry of Transport and Road Safety’s Office of the Chief Investigator — Investigation of Aviation Accidents and Incidents.
The helicopter pilot said the R44 flew normally after the collision and he felt no loss of power and no control problems, so he located a suitable landing site and conducted a normal landing. “After exiting the helicopter, the pilot assessed visually the helicopter and found the UAS [unmanned aircraft system, as drones are sometimes called] jammed and broken into the lattice spray system,” the report said.
Maintenance personnel arrived to inspect the helicopter and its spraying system and found them airworthy, allowing the hel…
