The Current State of Safety Reporting in Unmanned Aircraft Maintenance and Manufacturing: An Opportunity for Improvement

Abstract

Currently, unmanned aircraft system (UAS) safety reporting processes regarding maintenance and manufacturing-related hazards are nearly non-existent or immature. A review of recent UAS safety reporting data suggests the overall reporting of UAS incident and accident data needs to improve. In addition, the accelerating growth of UAS innovation requires more robust processes that proactively identify product-related defects or failures and support the FAA’s performance-based certification of UAS. This review explores current programs used in traditional aviation and other industries to identify best practices that may provide a path forward for developing similar programs for the UAS industry. First, this review compares existing manned aviation safety reporting and risk management procedures with the current state of safety reporting in the UAS industry. Second, this review explores the safety reporting processes of different industries such as automotive, consumer electronics, and the food and drug industry. Third, researchers reviewed safety risk data from the UAS insurance industry, including a cost comparison of insurance premiums and coverages. Ultimately, this review suggests practices and strategies that may improve safety reporting in the UAS industry.