AAIB finds a loose arm lock made a police DJI Matrice 300 fall into a street

A police DJI Matrice 300 crashed onto a residential street in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, on 1 June 2026 after one of its motor arms folded inwards in flight, the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) found. The maker's analysis showed that the arm's locking ring had not been fastened properly and came loose.

The 7.2 kg drone was flying at about 115 metres while police searched for suspects. It spun out of control and was falling at about 19 metres per second when its flight data stopped. Nobody was hurt and nothing was damaged, but the AAIB said hitting a person would probably have been fatal. It points to three similar accidents with the same model in 2021.

The police force now requires pilots to check that each locking ring clicks and the arm cannot move, and the National Police Chiefs' Council has warned all forces still flying the M300. Police forces in England and Wales made 82,624 drone flights between 1 June 2025 and 31 May 2026 with more than 800 drones, the report says.