ASRS 1866178
ACN 1866178 · 2021-12 · DJI Mavic 3
UAS pilot reported flying into an active TFR due to misunderstanding of LAANC authorization.
Pilot narrative
Verbatim, de-identified by NASA. Placeholders: ZZZ,
X, Y.
This morning, I hoped to fly my DJI Mavic 3 and check on some houses [in a] development. I used the Aloft app to check for TFR's and NOTAM's and noticed the restriction due to the fire. I was a bit confused by the wording in the Operating Restriction and Requirements section where it stated, "except as described". The app allowed me to apply for LAANC authorization which was granted. My drone will not fly without approval, and it was not until permission was granted that my drone would even take off. I came back to my office and asked a colleague about the incident and he educated me that even though the app granted me permission it was inadequate in providing a waiver of the TFR.
Analyst callback
Paraphrased notes from ASRS analyst follow-up calls with the reporter.
UAS pilot indicated the ALOFT LAANC app provided approval to fly in an area within the TFR. After further review there was small fine print towards the bottom of the approval which indicated a need to confirm and not fly in TFRs.
NASA classification · Anomalies
- Airspace Violation
- Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural
NASA classification · Assessments
- Contributing Factors / Situations
- Chart Or Publication · Human Factors · Software and Automation · Procedure
- Primary Problem
- Ambiguous
ASRS reports are voluntary, de-identified by NASA, and represent the reporter's perspective; they are not investigated and cannot be used to infer prevalence. Authoritative source: asrs.arc.nasa.gov ↗