While most UAS operators were overjoyed at last August’s release of Part 107 governing drone use, the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) says there is work yet to be done to safely integrate these aircraft into the National Airspace System. In a critical audit on UAS operations released earlier this month, the OIG said the agency does not have a “fully developed risk-based process to oversee UAS operations, a key tool for focusing resources on a range of emerging risks, such as increased reports of UAS operating near airports.” Safety experts have believed for years that reducing the risk of a collision between a drone and a manned aircraft should remain as one of the FAA’s top priorities during the integration process.
DOT’s Office of Inspector General Critical of FAA’s Drone Oversight
Key Takeaways:
- The Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General (OIG) criticized the FAA for lacking a fully developed risk-based process and adequate resources to safely integrate and oversee drone operations, despite the release of Part 107.
- Key deficiencies identified by the OIG include the FAA's inability to identify drone operators for enforcement, insufficient training and guidance for safety inspectors, a focus on education over enforcement, and the absence of a centralized data tracking system for drone activity, leading to many drones flying above authorized altitudes.
- Despite the FAA's claims that it had already addressed many OIG recommendations, the OIG remained unconvinced, particularly questioning the applicability of manned risk-based oversight to the rapidly growing drone fleet amidst inspector shortages, and left several recommendations "open and unresolved."
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