Reported UAV incidents in Canada: analysis and potential solutions

Abstract

UAV incidents were analyzed using data from Transport Canada's Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS). Between 05 November 2005 and 31 December 2016 a total of 355 incidents were reported in Canadian airspace. The largest number involved UAV sightings (66.5%) and close encounters with piloted aircraft (22.3%). These incidents increased markedly after 2013, with the highest number in British Columbia, followed by Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, and Manitoba. The vast majority of UAV incident reports were filed by pilots of piloted aircraft. Typically, airspace at altitudes greater than 400 feet above ground level (AGL) is off limits to UAVs; however, of the 270 incidents in the CADORS database with UAV altitude reported, 80.4% were above 400 feet AGL and 62.6% were above 1000 feet AGL. Of the 268 incidents with reported horizontal distance to the nearest aerodrome, 74.6% occurred or likely occurred within 5 nautical miles (nm), and of those 92.4% and 76.6% were reported above 100 and 300 feet AGL, respectively. Collectively, the CADORS data indicate that the overwhelming majority of UAV incidents reported in Canada were airspace violations. These results can guide future risk mitigation measures, hardware/software solutions, and educational campaigns to increase airspace safety.