Accident Reporting Requirements
Not every mishap during a Part 107 flight needs to be reported to the FAA ? 14 CFR 107.9 sets specific triggers based on injury severity and property damage cost, along with a firm 10-calendar-day deadline once one of those triggers is met. This lesson works through exactly when a report is required, what counts, and what doesn't.
Trigger 1: serious injury or loss of consciousness
A report is required if the operation results in serious injury to any person, or any loss of consciousness. This applies to any person ? not just bystanders, but potentially the remote pilot or crew as well, if the injury or loss of consciousness resulted from the operation. There is no property-damage-style dollar threshold on this trigger; any qualifying injury or loss of consciousness triggers the reporting requirement regardless of severity of any associated property damage.
Trigger 2: property damage above $500, excluding the aircraft itself
A report is also required for damage to property other than the small unmanned aircraft itself ? but only if the cost of repair (materials and labor combined) exceeds $500, or, in the case of a total loss, the fair market value of the property exceeds $500. Damage confined only to the drone itself does not trigger this reporting requirement, no matter how expensive the aircraft or how severe the damage to it.
The 10-calendar-day reporting window
Once either trigger is met, the remote pilot in command must report to the FAA no later than 10 calendar days after the qualifying operation. This is measured in calendar days, not business days, and the clock starts from the date of the operation itself, not from when damage costs are finally assessed or an injury's severity is confirmed.
Real-world scenario: two different mishaps, two different outcomes
During an inspection flight, a pilot's aircraft clips a wooden fence, causing $600 in repair costs to the fence and no injuries. Because the damage is to property other than the aircraft and exceeds the $500 threshold, this must be reported to the FAA within 10 calendar days of the incident.
On a separate job, a different pilot's aircraft strikes a small decorative planter, causing about $150 in damage, again with no injuries. Because $150 does not exceed the $500 threshold, this incident does not trigger a 107.9 report ? even though something was still damaged. Only the crossing of that specific dollar threshold (or the injury/consciousness trigger) creates the reporting obligation.
Whether a 107.9 report is required depends on two specific triggers, not general mishap severity.
View Larger| Trigger | Threshold | Reporting deadline | Regulation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serious injury or loss of consciousness | Any occurrence, to any person | 10 calendar days | 14 CFR 107.9(a) |
| Property damage (not the aircraft itself) | Repair cost or fair market value over $500 | 10 calendar days | 14 CFR 107.9(b) |
| Damage to the aircraft only | Not a reporting trigger, regardless of cost | N/A | 14 CFR 107.9(b) |
Determining whether a mishap requires a 107.9 report
Work through this immediately after any incident involving injury or property damage.
Check for serious injury or loss of consciousness to any person
If this occurred, a report is required regardless of any other factor ? proceed to reporting.
If no injury occurred, assess property damage other than the aircraft itself
Identify whether any property besides the drone was damaged.
Compare repair cost or fair market value against the $500 threshold
If repair cost (materials and labor) or, for a total loss, fair market value exceeds $500, a report is required.
If a trigger is met, report to the FAA within 10 calendar days
Count from the date of the operation itself, not the date costs were finalized.
| Mistake | Why it happens | Correct understanding | Regulation / source |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Damage to my own drone counts toward the $500 threshold." | Assuming all damage from the incident counts together | The $500 threshold applies only to property other than the aircraft itself; aircraft-only damage never triggers a report. | 14 CFR 107.9(b) |
| "Any injury at all requires a report." | Overgeneralizing the injury trigger | The trigger is specifically serious injury or loss of consciousness, not any minor injury. | 14 CFR 107.9(a) |
| "The report must be filed immediately after the incident." | Assuming accident reporting is always urgent/same-day | The deadline is 10 calendar days, not an immediate or same-day requirement. | 14 CFR 107.9 |
Does damage to my own aircraft ever need to be reported under 107.9?
No. The property-damage trigger specifically excludes the small unmanned aircraft itself ? only damage to other property above $500 counts.
What counts as "serious injury"?
The rule specifies serious injury or loss of consciousness to any person as the trigger ? not any and every minor injury from an operation.
How is the 10-day deadline counted?
In calendar days (not business days), starting from the date of the qualifying operation itself.
Test Your Knowledge
Answer the questions below to check your understanding. Every answer can be found in the lesson above.