Pilot error accounts for over 85% of all drone operational losses and is the most cited cause in claims, according to a new white paper Reducing Pilot Error in UAV Insurance produced by insurance company Moonrock.
The paper makes a number of recommendations for improving drone safety in areas such as training and Certification, operational Risk Management, technology Integration, Policy and Incentives. It also makes a novel recommendation to address the challenge of fatigue, cognitive overload, and decision-making degradation during long or complex missions.
Moonrock proposes a dual-pilot protocol:
“Trigger Criteria: Any flight exceeding 35 minutes or involving complex airspace, BVLOS operations, or congested environments.
Structure: One pilot manages the outbound leg, and then, following a well-rehearsed handover briefing, the second pilot takes over for the return leg. Controller swap/handover introduces its own human factor risks, so a structured briefing covering all relevant settings is essential.
Benefits: Reduces pilot fatigue and improves focus. Enables real-time peer monitoring and error detection. Aligns with aviation best practices for long-haul operations.”
Moonrock also advocates for regulators to aim for faster adoption of, and a more proactive stance on, enabling full automation in drone operations. “Human error remains the leading cause of UAV crashes, as evidenced by multiple claims involving misjudgment, incorrect recovery actions, and failure to respond to system warnings,” it concludes.
Originally published/sourced on Global Airspace Radar – https://moonrockinsurance.com/reducing-pilot-error-in-uav-insurance/
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