Module 11: Emergency Procedures and Contingency Planning
Every remote pilot eventually faces a flight that stops going according to plan — a lost control link, an aircraft that stops obeying commands, a GPS signal that disappears, a battery that fails faster than expected, or a situation that simply demands landing right now, in a spot that wasn't the planned one. This module covers ACS Task V.C: the regulation that gives a remote pilot the legal authority to respond to a genuine in-flight emergency, and the practical knowledge needed to actually handle the specific emergencies a small UAS is most likely to encounter.
Learning outcomes
- State 14 CFR 107.21's in-flight emergency deviation authority in full, including the written-report duty that follows it.
- Explain why 14 CFR 107.49(b) requires briefing participants on contingency procedures before every flight, and build a genuine contingency plan.
- Describe lost-link failsafe behavior and the remote pilot's 107.19 responsibility to prevent undue hazard if control is lost.
- Distinguish a lost link from a true fly-away, and describe prevention and response actions consistent with 14 CFR 107.23.
- Explain how GPS loss affects a small UAS and why 14 CFR 107.31's visual-line-of-sight requirement remains the pilot's backstop regardless.
- Recognize the signs of an in-flight battery failure and respond correctly using battery and power-budget fundamentals.
- Apply 14 CFR 107.21 and 107.23 together when selecting an emergency landing site under time pressure.
This module is anchored by a single regulation that shows up in every lesson: 14 CFR 107.21, which gives the remote pilot in command the authority to deviate from any rule in Part 107 to the extent necessary to meet a genuine in-flight emergency, and requires a written report to the FAA if one is requested afterward. Lesson A builds the foundation by explaining that authority in full and connecting it to 14 CFR 107.49(b)'s separate, preflight requirement to brief every participant on contingency procedures — the planning that happens before a flight, specifically so that an in-flight emergency is met with a rehearsed response instead of a first-time improvisation.
Lessons B through E then work through the specific non-normal situations a small UAS is most likely to encounter: a lost control link (Lesson B), a true fly-away where the aircraft is no longer behaving predictably (Lesson C), a loss of GPS signal (Lesson D), and an in-flight battery failure (Lesson E). None of these has its own dedicated Part 107 regulation number — they are grounded instead in 107.21's deviation authority, 14 CFR 107.19's ongoing remote-pilot-in-command responsibility, and, for GPS and battery issues specifically, a full re-explanation of the visual-line-of-sight and battery/power fundamentals that make a correct response possible. Lesson F closes the module by applying everything learned to the specific, time-pressured task of choosing where and how to land when an emergency descent becomes necessary, always subject to 14 CFR 107.23's prohibition on careless or reckless operation.
The theme running through the whole module: 107.21 grants real flexibility when a genuine emergency demands it, but it is not a blank check. Every deviation must still be no more than what the emergency actually requires, and 107.23's baseline standard of care never goes away, even under pressure.
14 CFR 107.21 and 107.49(b) in full, and how to build a real preflight contingency plan.
Failsafe behavior, 107.19's undue-hazard duty, and how to prepare for a lost control link.
What causes a true fly-away, how to prevent one, and how 107.23 shapes the correct response.
How GPS loss affects flight, and why 107.31's visual-line-of-sight duty is the real backstop.
Recognizing power failure symptoms using battery and power-budget fundamentals, and responding correctly.
Choosing where and how to land under time pressure, consistent with 107.21 and 107.23.