Which statement best reflects privacy considerations if your UAS lands on private property?

• A. Enter the property to retrieve immediately.
• B. Do not trespass, obtain permission if necessary, and respect privacy.
• C. Call authorities and leave the device.
• D. Post on social media.

Answer: (B)

When a UAS ends up on private property, the right way to handle it is to avoid trespass and respect the owner’s privacy. You don’t have a right to enter someone’s land to retrieve a drone, so you should first try to contact the property owner or manager and obtain permission to retrieve it if possible. This approach protects you from potential trespass or liability issues and shows consideration for the people and activities on the property. Being mindful of privacy also means avoiding capturing or sharing any private moments or footage without consent.

Entering the property without permission would be trespass and could expose you to legal trouble. Simply calling authorities and leaving the device might be appropriate in emergencies, but it doesn’t address the ownership and privacy concerns. Posting about the incident on social media is inappropriate and could violate privacy and complicate the situation.