Quantitative Data Analysis: CRASAR Small Unmanned Aerial Systems at Hurricane Ian

Understand

This paper provides a summary of the 281 sorties that were flown by the 10 different models of small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) at Hurricane Ian, and the failures made in the field.

• These 281 sorties, supporting 44 missions, represents the largest use of sUAS in a disaster to date (previously Hurricane Florence with 260 sorties).
• The sUAS operations at Hurricane Ian differ slightly from prior operations as they included the first documented uses of drones performing interior search for victims, and the first use of a VTOL fixed wing aircraft during a large scale disaster.
• However, there are substantive similarities to prior drone operations.