DJI Inspire 2 Drone Strikes Actor During Film Shoot

An actor sustained a minor head injury after being hit by a DJI Inspire 2 drone while filming in Morlais Quarry, Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, on July 19, 2022, according to an Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) report.

The drone incident led to a temporary halt in filming as medical attention was provided to the actor.

According to the investigation findings, the actor had unexpectedly deviated from the course that had been planned, which led to him colliding with one of the drone’s propellers. The injuries sustained by the actor were only superficial.

A safety meeting was held for the cast, crew, and production staff before the beginning of filming, and the experienced drone pilot led the session.

After successfully completing two shoots, the following sequence involved a tracking shot of actors and horses running past the hovering DJI Inspire 2 drone at low head height.

The drone had to slowly fly backward as the actors approached it before splitting into two groups to pass the aircraft. One actor unexpectedly changed course while running alongside the drone, crossing its flight path and colliding with the propellers.

The drone was immediately flown to safety,  and filming was halted to provide medical assistance to the injured actor.

DJI Inspire 2 drone incident leads to updated guidelines

In response to the incident, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) updated its guidelines to address the challenges of filming near large groups of people.

The AAIB reported that the drone operator and film director agreed to conduct walk-throughs of each scene with the actors and film crew before filming. 

Additional time will now be allocated for setting up close proximity shots, and the drone operator has revised risk assessments.

Photo courtesy of DJI.