UAV - Unpiloted Aerial Vehicle
Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Vehicle; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Procedure; Human Factors
I was flying my (UAS) drone at the boat harbor. I was recording a boat that just docked with my wife and two friends aboard. I flew too close approximately 50 feet at an altitude of 25 to 35 feet AGL; a gust of wind caught the drone and veered it into the rear open compartment deck for viewing on the vessel. Winds were 5 - 8 miles approximately with an occasional gust of 9 -10 miles per hour. I tried to recover but the UAS hit the roof deck. Witnesses said an unidentified adult man (tourist passenger) batted the UAS with his hand to keep the UAS from striking another passenger and received a minor cut from the prop. The passenger exited the boat and left on the tour bus not leaving his name or other information. The Captain secured the UAS and upon my giving him all my information returned the UAS.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) pilot reported losing control of the drone; causing it to collide with a ship.