The rapid increase of drone use in a variety of enterprise activities has made upgrading their regulation both inevitable and anticipated. One such revamp is now in the works following a National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) decision to expand its criteria for examining accidents involving commercial drones.
FAA certification, not weight, to determine inquiries
The NTSB issued a statement of intent to amend sections of 2010 regulations that currently restrict drone accident investigations to commercial craft weighing more than 300 lbs. Rather than continue using weight as the defining consideration, however, the NTSB plans to expand accident investigations to any unmanned aerial system (UAS) that require Federal Aviation Administration certification to operate.
The NTSB says it needs the rule changes to keep pace with intensifying flights of businesses’ drones – in particular quickly developing delivery services.
As drone delivery and other applications develop,…
