Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems: FAA Should Improve Its Management of Safety Risks
Abstract
Small UASunmanned aircraft weighing less than 55 pounds, typically flown by remote control within sight of a ground pilotare increasingly being used for commercial and recreational purposes. Congress and others have raised questions about the extent of unsafe small UAS use and FAAs and other agencies efforts to address safety risks they pose. This report examines (1) what information is available to FAA about the extent of unsafe small UAS use in the national airspace, and (2) the extent to which FAAs management of safety risks posed by small UAS has followed key principles of risk management, among other objectives. GAO reviewed FAA and other federal data on small UAS use from 2014 to2018, and FAA and industry documents. From FAAs policies that apply to its safety oversight, including small UAS, GAO identified five key safety risk management principles and15 supporting requirements, and compared them to FAAs regulatory efforts related to small UAS. GAO also interviewed FAA officials, as well as 46aviation stakeholders, including experts and industry groups, selected based on their knowledge of small UAS safety issues.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1169386
Entities
People
- Heather Krause
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office