UAV - Unpiloted Aerial Vehicle
Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Instrument
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 7; Flight Crew Total 3374; Flight Crew Type 1042
Human-Machine Interface
Inflight Event / Encounter Object
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged
Aircraft
I was leisurely taking pictures of the sunset and the lights around the cathedral with my DJI Inspire 1 Pro drone. After approximately 7 minutes of flight with approximately 5+ minutes left of flight and 58% battery life and visual contact the UAS lost signal with the ground control unit and 'disconnected'. It was last visually seen above a parking lot. At this point I initiated lost signal procedures to return the UAS at 400 feet to home. After approximately 10 minutes I considered it a flyaway. I had my wife stay at the home (return) location as I looked for the UAS and looked until [late that night] and did not recover the UAS. I called the local PD and made a lost property report at that time. [Three days later] I received a call from a police detective saying that they had recovered the drone but would not release it or any information until [2 days later]. When I met with the detective she informed me that there was no injury but approximately $500 in property damage occurred (broken window) in an unoccupied space and fell 25 stories with no injury to people. She also indicated that there were no local laws broken or punitive measure taken. The drone had been totaled and she released it back to me at this time. I met with the property owner of the [building] and gave him my insurance info.
A DJI Inspire 1 Pro UAS owner lost communication with the aircraft which then did not return 'home' but hit a tall building destroying the UAS and breaking a window 25 stories up.