The quick reflexes of a drone pilot Royal Navy Prevented an aircraft valued at £2.5 million from crashing into the sea during a mission in the Gulf of Oman.
Frigate Captain Adrian „AJ“ Hill took manual control of the Peregrine drone moments before it hit the water and guided the device safely onto the flight deck of the frigate HMS Lancaster.
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This action earned Hill an unprecedented distinction: He became the first drone operator to receive a Green Endorsement – the highest safety award given by the Fleet Air Arm and the British Royal Air Force.
The incident occurred at the end of an approximately two and a half hour patrol. The Peregrine, a three-meter-long surveillance drone, was flying in autonomous mode at an altitude of about 18 meters immediately aft of the frigate when a computer error occurred and the aircraft rapidly lost altitude and headed towards the sea.
“It sank very low, to one to two feet above the surface of the water. A quarter of a second later it would have touched the sea – and then it would have been over,” said Hill, flight commander of the 700X Naval Air Squadron. According to him, it was necessary to take over manual control within seconds, trigger the correct command sequence and apply maximum power to regain altitude.
After stabilizing the drone, Hill managed to manually land it safely on the ship’s flight deck. “Once I reached a safe altitude, I took a deep breath and performed the manual landing. With the adrenaline high, it ended up being one of my best landings,” he explained.
The maneuver was only observed by two of the squadron’s engineers, who accompanied the landing process and were also surprised by the aircraft’s sudden loss of altitude.
Peregrine is the name used by the Royal Navy for the militarized version of the S-100 Camcopter, developed by the Austrian company Schiebel and equipped with additional sensors and systems for maritime operations. At the time of the incident, the drone was still undergoing operational testing on board HMS Lancaster.
Hill officially received the award from the hands of the Commander of the Fleet Air Arm, Rear Admiral Anthony Rimington. The statement emphasizes that although the incident did not pose a threat to human life, it posed a significant risk to valuable equipment and to the Navy’s operational capability.
According to the text, the officer showed “extraordinary professional competence, great attentiveness and extremely quick reactions” in the critical situation.
Source and images: Royal Navy. This content was created with the support of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
