ASTM F3389/F3389M-20
(Test Method)Standard Test Method for Assessing the Safety of Small Unmanned Aircraft Impacts
Standard Test Method for Assessing the Safety of Small Unmanned Aircraft Impacts
SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 The test method is intended to be used by sUAS manufacturers, sUAS operators, and CAAs to assess the safety of sUA impacts to people on the ground during operations involving flight over people.
5.2 The test method provides a framework for creating new designs and evaluating existing designs to determine the sUA’s blunt force trauma injury potential to the head or neck, or both, during a collision with a person on the ground.
5.3 Applicants can determine whether to use Methods A, B, or C based upon their specific sUA characteristics and flight operations. In many cases, sUA with impact KE below 54 ft-lbf [73 J] (see Appendix X1) do not require rigorous testing to ensure safety to the nonparticipating public and can use Method A. Vehicles with higher impact KEs should conduct impact testing using Method B or Method C. Method B is simpler than Method C and, therefore, less costly for the applicant. Method B results may be more conservative since the test setup is more rigid and can result in an increase in the amount of energy transferred during the impact than the injury metrics established using a full ATD. Method C testing is costlier and schedule-intensive, but provides a higher level of certainty of the injury potential of the sUA and is more directly comparable to established automotive injury metrics and injury metrics derived from ATD testing and used by the governing CAA.
5.4 The output of Method A is a verification that the sUA or sUA with mitigation does not exceed the 54 ft-lbf impact KE throughout its flight envelope based upon flight test data as means of obtaining approval for flight over people for Category 2 or 3 operations for the FAA. Other governing CAAs may only require a weight metric or other impact energy metric in lieu of the 54 ft-lbf impact KE.
5.5 The output from Methods B and C is a characterization of the forces (measured in acceleration of the head form or ATD) expected during an MPWC head impact as a function of sUA KE. ...
SCOPE
1.1 This test method is applicable to small unmanned aircraft (sUA) that are limited in the United States in accordance with 14 CFR § 107.3 to be less than 55 lbf. The test method provides a standardized method for assessing the safety of sUA impacts with a person on the ground. Results from testing using Methods A, B, or C are intended to be used to support an applicant in obtaining permission from the governing Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for flight over people. Approval of reports for the conduct of tests and the decision to grant permission rests with the governing CAA based upon adherence to the methodologies outlined in this test method.
1.2 This test method is based on methods researched by the FAA Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) supported by the Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence (ASSURE). These methods expand on extensive research and testing conducted by the automotive industry to support quantitative automotive passenger safety standards and testing and test data on sUA collected by ASSURE.
1.3 The purpose of this test method is to define a method to establish confidence in the overall injury potential of a particular sUA configuration under probable failure conditions. This testing is not meant to simulate the worst possible impact for the most conservative set of the population. It is expected that CAAs should determine what injury thresholds are acceptable under their public policy and determine operational limitations for various operations by using the data from this testing in conjunction with the specific concept of operations proposed by the applicant.
1.4 The test method provides three methods for evaluating the potential for impact injury: a simple analytical method, a simplified test, and a more rigorous test with appropriate safety margins applied to each approach to address uncertainty in each of the approaches.
1.5 The applicant s...
General Information
Standards Content (Sample)
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Designation: F3389/F3389M − 20
Standard Test Method for
1
Assessing the Safety of Small Unmanned Aircraft Impacts
ThisstandardisissuedunderthefixeddesignationF3389/F3389M;thenumberimmediatelyfollowingthedesignationindicatestheyear
of original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision.Anumber in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.
A superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope 1.5 The applicant should understand the actual operating
characteristicsoftheirsUAbeforestartingtheprocessoutlined
1.1 This test method is applicable to small unmanned
in this test method. It is assumed that the applicant is able to
aircraft (sUA) that are limited in the United States in accor-
substantiate the most probable, worst case (MPWC) impact
dance with 14 CFR § 107.3 to be less than 55 lbf. The test
orientationofthesUA;typicalandmaximumoperatingheights
methodprovidesastandardizedmethodforassessingthesafety
and speeds; and terminal velocity of their sUAas a function of
of sUA impacts with a person on the ground. Results from
altitude to compare the results of the impact analysis with the
testing using Methods A, B, or C are intended to be used to
proposedoperationforthesUA.Thistestmethodisintendedto
support an applicant in obtaining permission from the govern-
supplement the verification requirements of Specification
ing Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for flight over people.
F3298, as a supplement to Specification F2910. This test
Approval of reports for the conduct of tests and the decision to
method should not be used as a stand-alone document without
grant permission rests with the governing CAA based upon
consideration of other ASTM UAS standards.
adherence to the methodologies outlined in this test method.
1.6 These methods assume that a blunt force head impact is
1.2 This test method is based on methods researched by the
the most likely injury mechanism leading to serious injury or
FAA Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems
fatalities. The level of blunt force injury to the head may be
(UAS) supported by the Alliance for System Safety of UAS
adjusted for various applications (such as sUA operations
through Research Excellence (ASSURE). These methods ex-
around first responders with helmets) and compared with the
pand on extensive research and testing conducted by the
amount of force or load factor that the sUAtransfers during a
automotiveindustrytosupportquantitativeautomotivepassen-
collision.
ger safety standards and testing and test data on sUAcollected
by ASSURE.
1.7 Method B is not appropriate for foam-built fixed-wing
sUAduetothestiffnessoftheFAAHybridIIIHeadandNeck.
1.3 The purpose of this test method is to define a method to
Until a different impactor can be developed for Method B,
establishconfidenceintheoverallinjurypotentialofaparticu-
these sUA should use Method C for evaluation.
lar sUA configuration under probable failure conditions. This
testing is not meant to simulate the worst possible impact for
1.8 Units—The values stated in either International System
the most conservative set of the population. It is expected that
(SI) units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as
CAAs should determine what injury thresholds are acceptable
standard. The values stated in each system are not necessarily
under their public policy and determine operational limitations
exact equivalents; therefore, to ensure conformance with the
for various operations by using the data from this testing in
standard,eachsystemshallbeusedindependentlyoftheother,
conjunction with the specific concept of operations proposed
and values from the two systems shall not be combined.
by the applicant.
1.9 This standard does not purport to address all of the
1.4 The test method provides three methods for evaluating
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
the potential for impact injury: a simple analytical method, a
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
simplifiedtest,andamorerigoroustestwithappropriatesafety
priate safety, health, and environmental practices and deter-
margins applied to each approach to address uncertainty in
mine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
each of the approaches.
1.10 This international standard was developed in accor-
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
1
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee F38 on
ization established in the Decision on Principles for the
UnmannedAircraftSystemsandisthedirectresponsibilityofSubcommitteeF38.01
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom-
on Airworthiness.
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical
Current edition approved April 15, 2020. Published July 2020. DOI: 10.1520/
F3389
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