Under the FAA-provided means of compliance in AC 107-2A § 8.6.1.5, maximum impact kinetic energy is calculated as KEimpact = 0.0155 × w × v². A 1.0-pound small unmanned aircraft with a maximum impact speed of 26 ft/s has approximately what impact kinetic energy?
Why: AC 107-2A § 8.6.1.5, p. 8-15, works this exact example: KEimpact = 0.0155 × 1.0 × 26² = 10.5 ft-lbs, within the 11 ft-lb Category 2 threshold.
This mistakes the impact speed (26 ft/s) itself for the kinetic-energy result, skipping the formula's weight and velocity-squared terms entirely.
This applies only the 0.0155 constant without multiplying by weight and velocity squared, producing a figure far too small to be meaningful.