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1.9 Accident Reporting and Recordkeeping

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FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate Exam

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1 Introduction to the FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate

FAA Part 107 Exam Overview Study Strategy and Test-Taking Tips

2 1. Regulations (14 CFR Part 107)

1.1 Applicability and Definitions (Subpart A) 1.2 Remote Pilot Certification (Subpart C) 1.3 Operating Rules Overview (Subpart B) 1.4 Registration and Marking Requirements 1.5 Remote Identification (Part 89) 1.6 Operations Over People (Subpart D) 1.7 Night Operations and Civil Twilight 1.8 Waivers and Authorizations (Subpart E) 1.9 Accident Reporting and Recordkeeping 1.10 Preflight Familiarization and Actions

3 2. Airspace Classification & Requirements

2.1 National Airspace System Overview 2.2 Class B Airspace 2.3 Class C and Class D Airspace 2.4 Class E and Class G Airspace 2.5 Reading Sectional Charts 2.6 LAANC and Airspace Authorization 2.7 TFRs and NOTAMs 2.8 Latitude, Longitude, and Navigation

4 3. Weather

3.1 Weather Theory and Atmospheric Basics 3.2 Wind, Turbulence, and Wind Shear 3.3 Clouds, Visibility, and Fog 3.4 Reading METAR Reports 3.5 Reading TAF Reports 3.6 Weather Hazards for Drone Operations 3.7 Weather Information Sources

5 4. Loading and Performance

4.1 Weight, Balance, and Center of Gravity 4.2 Density Altitude and Performance 4.3 Load Factor and Maneuvering 4.4 Battery Performance and Management 4.5 Performance Calculations and Limitations

6 5. Operations

5.1 Crew Resource Management (CRM) 5.2 Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM) 5.3 Emergency Procedures 5.4 Physiological Factors Affecting Pilots 5.5 Radio Communication and Frequencies 5.6 Airport Operations and Traffic Patterns 5.7 Maintenance, Inspection, and Condition 5.8 Special Operations and Considerations 5.9 Flight Planning and Risk Mitigation 5.10 Sectional Chart Interpretation Exercises

1.9 Accident Reporting and Recordkeeping

Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI

Report to the FAA within 10 calendar days if an operation causes serious injury, loss of consciousness, or more than $500 of damage to property other than the drone.

The $500 threshold applies to property OTHER than the small UAS; damage to your own drone alone never triggers a report.

Serious injury means Abbreviated Injury Scale Level 3 or higher, such as hospitalization for a broken bone, head trauma or a cut that needs stitches.

Reports are filed through FAA DroneZone or the local FSDO; this is separate from NTSB reporting.

Part 107 does not require flight logs or insurance, but maintaining records and carrying liability coverage is strong practice.

Last updated: October 2026

Accident Reporting and Recordkeeping

Knowing exactly when an accident must be reported, what thresholds apply, and how fast is a near-guaranteed exam item. The rule lives in Section 107.9 .

The Three Reporting Triggers (Section 107.9)

The Remote PIC must report any operation that results in any of the following:

Serious injury to any person, or any injury at the level of Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) Level 3 or higher .

Loss of consciousness by any person.

Damage to any property, other than the small UAS, costing more than $500 to repair or replace, judged by the lower of the repair cost and the property’s fair market value.

The Reporting Deadline

File within 10 calendar days of the operation.

Submit through FAA DroneZone (online) or by contacting your local FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) .

This FAA report is separate from any NTSB obligation; serious UAS accidents may also require NTSB notification under 49 CFR Part 830.

Memory hook: injury, unconsciousness, or $500 — within 10 days. The deadline is 10 calendar days , not 24 hours, not 48 hours.

What Counts as "Serious Injury"

The FAA defines serious injury as AIS Level 3 or higher on the Abbreviated Injury Scale. AC 107-2A gives the AIS 3 example of a person who needs hospitalization for an injury that can fully heal.

Injury Reportable?

Hospitalization for an injury that can fully heal, such as head trauma, broken bone(s) or a laceration needing sutures (AIS 3 example) Yes

  • Any loss of consciousness Yes
  • Minor cut treated with a bandage No
  • The $500 Property-Damage Trap

The $500 figure is the most-tested number in this section, and it has a critical exclusion:

It applies only to property other than the small UAS — cars, buildings, fences, other equipment.

Damage to your own drone is excluded entirely , no matter how expensive.

Use the lower of the repair cost and the property’s fair market value, and report only if that lower figure is more than $500 (AC 107-2A: a $200 item with a $600 repair is not reportable).

Worked example A: Your $3,000 drone falls and is destroyed, but nothing else is damaged and no one is hurt. No FAA report required — only the drone was damaged.

Worked example B: Your drone clips a parked car, causing $600 of body damage. Reportable — it is property other than the drone and exceeds $500.

Worked example C: The drone scratches a fence; repair is $120. Not reportable — below $500.

What a Report Should Contain

  • Element Detail
  • Remote PIC Name, certificate number, contact info
  • Date/time When it occurred
  • Location Address or GPS coordinates
  • Damage Property affected and estimated cost
  • Injuries Nature and severity, if any
  • Aircraft Make, model, registration number
  • Narrative What happened and contributing factors
  • Recordkeeping and Insurance

Part 107 does not mandate flight logs or insurance, but these are strong professional practices:

Flight logs — date, time, location, duration, purpose.

Maintenance and battery logs — inspections, repairs, charge cycles, retirement dates.

Incident notes — even non-reportable close calls.

Waiver/authorization copies — with conditions and expirations.

Insurance — many clients require proof of liability coverage; hull coverage protects the aircraft itself.

For the exam: lock in the three triggers and the 10-calendar-day window, and remember that damage to your own drone alone is never reportable.

Distinguishing FAA Reporting From NTSB, and Reading the Triggers

Accident reporting is one of the most reliably tested sections because the numbers are crisp and the exclusions are sharp. The mastery move is to read a scenario, isolate what was damaged or who was hurt , and decide reportability without second-guessing.

Two Separate Reporting Systems

The FAA report under Section 107.9 is not the same as an NTSB report. They have different thresholds and timelines:

System Trigger Deadline

FAA (Section 107.9) Serious injury, loss of consciousness, or more than $500 of damage to other property 10 calendar days

NTSB (49 CFR Part 830) Death, serious injury, or substantial damage in a qualifying UAS accident Immediate notification

For the UAG exam, the load-bearing answer is the FAA 10-calendar-day rule. But strong pilots know an aircraft over 300 lb or an event with a fatality can also pull in the NTSB — the systems coexist.

The Three Triggers, Applied

Walk every scenario through three yes/no gates: (1) serious injury (AIS Level 3 or higher — for example, hospitalization for an injury that can fully heal, such as a broken bone, head trauma or a cut that needs stitches), (2) loss of consciousness by anyone, or (3) more than $500 in damage to property other than the drone (the lower of repair cost and fair market value). Any single "yes" makes it reportable; all three "no" means no FAA report (though you should still document it).

The $500 Exclusion Is the Crux

The most common error is counting the drone's own value toward the $500. Damage to the small UAS itself never counts. Re-read these:

  • Scenario Reportable to FAA? Why
  • $4,000 drone destroyed, nothing else hit, no injury No Only the drone was damaged
  • Drone hits a parked car, $600 body damage Yes Other property, exceeds $500
  • Drone cracks a $300 window No Other property but under $500
  • Bystander knocked unconscious, no property damage Yes Loss of consciousness trigger
  • Person needs three days of hospitalization for a fractured wrist Yes Serious injury trigger
  • Filing and Records

File through FAA DroneZone or your local Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) within 10 calendar days. The report should capture Remote PIC identity and certificate number, date/time, location, the property and injuries involved with estimated costs, aircraft make/model/registration, and a factual narrative of contributing factors. Although Part 107 does not require flight logs, maintenance logs, battery logs, or insurance, keeping them is strong professional practice and often demanded by clients — and good records make any required report fast and accurate.

Memory anchor: Hurt, knocked out, or five hundred — file in ten. And the asterisk that wins points: your own broken drone alone is never reportable .