Drones help, flight accidents, to inform
Drones are not only a danger to air travel. The British authority for flight accident investigations praises it expressly as a helpful tool for the investigation of accidents.
Drone aircraft come close to dangerous or collide with them. These dangers, it is mostly when the air travel with small flying objects busy. However, the remote-controlled devices also have their advantages, such as the British air accident authority. The Air Accidents Investigation Branch uses drones to accident places and is enthusiastic.
"Aerial photographs are very useful for accident investigation," said the authority. "You can capture the entire area from the first point of Impact up to the place where the wreck comes to rest." Traces in the soil and the distribution of the debris would help to identify the plane hit. In addition, the images showed obstacles such as trees and buildings, and in the case of large planes, the damage to the top of the machine.
Advantages compared to helicopters
The authority sets since 2014 drone at accident locations. You can see in the aerial photographs, a good Alternative to helicopters. "You can close flying to the trees and debris without disturbing Rotorabwind close-UPS," says the Air Accidents Investigation Branch. Even in poor visibility and low clouds, you are ready to use. "Our current drone is in position, high-quality photos and Videos and to make, at a wind strength of up to 37 kilometers per hour."
Special software will allow it to create 3D models and ortho-mosaics. These are images that are composed of many air shots and a Perspective - and scale correction include. The Whole thing works, "by the drone is programmed to fly in a grid pattern, and automatically a number of overlapping photographs, in which the camera is pointing 90 degrees to the bottom", explained the authority. This takes a few minutes, followed by several hours of processing by a Computer.
Briefing of team members
3D-models use, "to take measurements at an accident site up to an accuracy of a centimeter, based on images taken from a height of 40 meters". The device was more precise than measurements with a portable GPS, to praise the British. "These models are a useful tool for the training of team members, who were not at the scene of the accident, because the in and Out-zooming and Rotating the model, you can make it easier to take a picture of the place, as if you use photos."
In the above image gallery to see how drones of the Air Accidents Investigation Branch were used.