dissipation caused by the physical design of the small unmanned aircraft and likely impact
scenarios.
(2) Address impact of exposed rotating parts to risk analysis with a focus on serious injury (AIS
level 3 or greater).
(3) Require the manufacturer of the small unmanned aircraft to provide an operating manual to
the operator, which must include operator requirements for flight over people.
(4) Define how the product shall be labeled to show operators that the manufacturer has
declared that the UAS is in compliance with the standard.
4.1.3
Category 3 Performance Standards
This category prescribes the performance standards and operational restrictions for limited
operations over people (as described in Section 4.3.3. below) that are conducted by UAS that
present a level of risk of “serious” injury (AIS level 3 or greater) that is incrementally higher than the
level of risk of injury presented in Category 2. Specifically, the ARC recommends that a small UAS
be permitted to conduct limited operations over people (as defined below) if that UAS presents a
30% or lower chance of causing an AIS level 3 or greater injury upon impact with a person. The
ARC recommends that the FAA also establish an impact energy threshold for this risk level based
on information presented to the ARC, in J/cm².
For a small UAS to qualify for Category 3 operations, the manufacturer must certify that the UAS
does not, in the most probable failure modes, exceed the typical or likely impact energy threshold as
determined by industry consensus standard testing. The operator of the small UAS will also be
subject to certain operational restrictions, which are discussed below in Section 4.3.3.
To facilitate the development of industry consensus standards for small UAS that qualify for
Category 3 operations over people that are acceptable to the FAA Administrator, the ARC
recommends that the industry consensus standards must do the following:
(1) Establish a test to measure typical or likely impact energy of the small unmanned aircraft
when the aircraft is operating in the most probable failure mode to determine whether it
meets the specified impact energy threshold. Testing may be subject to manufacturer defined
operating limitations, if any. The impact energy threshold used in the standards may account
for the energy dissipation caused by the physical design of the small unmanned aircraft and
likely impact scenarios.
(2) Address the impact of exposed rotating parts to safety analysis with a focus on serious injury
(AIS level 3 or greater).
(3) Require the manufacturer of the small unmanned aircraft to provide an operating manual to
the operator, which must include operator requirements for flight over people.
(4) Define how the product shall be labeled to show operators that the manufacturer has
declared that the UAS is in compliance with the standard.
Operations in this category allow limited operations over people and do not allow flight over crowds
or dense gatherings of people. Operational limitations and restrictions for this category are described
in sec