Drone Accident During Republic Day Event in Madhya Pradesh: What Went Wrong

Two spectators were injured after a drone, which was part of the tableau of the Madhya Pradesh agriculture department, fell on them in the Republic Day function held at a stadium in Jabalpur.

The drone, displaying the spraying capability for agricultural operations, was being flown by engineer Abhinav Singh, who had reportedly been working on the technology for over six years. The drone was a Quadcopter, meaning it had four motors and four propellers. It was said to be carrying 30 litres of spray liquid when the accident occurred, leading to the injured being rushed to hospital.

So what went wrong? On close analysis of the video, I noticed this Quadcopter was flown with a Chinese-made controller which would be transmitting on 2.4 GHz. The drone was flying in an area where broadband and Wi-Fi jammers were likely used due to VVIP and VIP movement. It is important to note that Wi-Fi also works on 2.4 GHz.