Procedure for Low-Altitude Aircraft Encounters

In plain language

If a low-flying aircraft is nearby, immediately drop your drone's altitude to below 10 meters and stay at least 500 meters away from it. If you cannot keep this 500-meter distance, land your drone immediately.

Requirement as structured

Guidance material GM1 UAS.OPEN.060(2)(b) explains how the binding duty in point UAS.OPEN.060(2)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2019/947 is met: if the remote pilot observes an aircraft passing at a low altitude at which it may interact with the UA, the guidance says they need to immediately reduce the height of the UA — the figure it gives, less than 10 m above the ground, is an illustrative example — and to keep the UA far from the other aircraft, the figure it gives, not less than 500 m, being likewise an example; if that distance cannot be ensured the UA needs to be landed immediately. The 10 m and 500 m figures are guidance examples and are not binding statutory limits.

Original regulatory text

If the remote pilot observes an aircraft passing through the sky at a low altitude, at which it may interact with the UA, they need to immediately reduce the height of the UA (e.g. to less than 10 m above the ground) and keep the UA in an area that is far (not less than 500 m) from the other aircraft. If they cannot ensure such a distance, the UA needs to be immediately landed.

Applies when

regulatory category

Open