Monitoring Risk Associated with Operations of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the National Airspace System: Models for Analysis of Mandatory Occurrence Reports involving UAS-Manned Aircraft Encounters is a paper by Kim Cardosi, Jason Lu, Megan France, Tracy Lennertz, Aaron Hoffman, and Tom Sheridan.

Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) increasingly operate within the national airspace (NAS), sometimes flying near manned aircraft. Such occurrences are documented, in part, in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Mandatory Occurrence Report (MOR) dataset. The Volpe Center has introduced two models to oversee the risks associated with encounters between UAS and manned aircraft, as indicated in the MOR data.

The first model categorizes the severity of UAS-manned aircraft encounters based on factors like the reported proximity between the aircraft and the event’s proximity to the nearest airport. This model offers a snapshot of the risk inherent in UAS-manned aircraft interactions within the MOR data.

The second model quantifies the severity of these encounters by estimating the likelihood of a collision and the likelihood of fatality in case of a collision, considering the physical characteristics of the encounter. The model’s outcomes differentiate between significant incidents, less critical occurrences, and events that pose no substantial risk. Furthermore, these outcomes can be tracked over time to evaluate the influence of technological advancements, industry developments, and policy changes related to UAS integration.

Overall, the results demonstrate that the majority of MORs involve less severe situations or are classified as ‘non-events.’ However, a smaller subset of MORs entails heightened risks, warranting more in-depth analysis. These instances emphasize the necessity for enhanced data collection and motivate improvements in this regard.

Publication Date- September 2018

Monitoring Risk Associated with Operations of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the National Airspace System: Models for Analysis of Mandatory Occurrence Reports involving UAS-Manned Aircraft Encounters contains the following major sections:

  • Executive Summary
  • Introduction
  • Severity Categorization Model
  • Severity Quantification Model

There are no noted distribution restrictions for this document prepared for the U.S. Department of Transportation.

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See Also- UAS Case Studies: Near Midair Collisions with Aircraft

Post Image- Drone flying near a commercial aircraft (Image Credit: envatoelements by photovs)