Accidents happen to even the most skilled drone pilots. A sudden gust of wind, a momentary loss of visibility, a technical fault, or simple pilot error can turn a routine flight into an expensive incident. With the potential cost of repairs and drones becoming more popular with both recreational and commercial operators, whether you call it accidental damage insurance or accidental damage cover, ensuring your equipment is protected can save you money in the long term.
In answer to the question, “Can you get Drone Insurance to cover accidental damage and crashes?” The short answer is yes; you can get specialist Drone Insurance that covers accidental damage, crashes and even unrecoverable losses. And for many operators, this protection is essential for peace of mind.
In this article, we deep-dive into accidental damage Drone Insurance cover, answering some of the most asked questions and providing insights to help you make a more informed decision about protecting your drone equipment.
What’s in this Guide
- What is Accidental Damage Insurance for Drones?
- Does Drone Insurance Cover Crashes
- Are Flyaways Covered?
- Do Drone Insurers Actually Pay Out for Accidental Damage?
- What’s Not Covered by Accidental Damage Insurance?
- Why Drone Operators Choose Accidental Damage Cover
- Accidental Damage Insurance FAQs
- Summary
- Get Protection for Your Drone
What is Accidental Damage Insurance for Drones?
Accidental damage insurance protects your drone and associated equipment against unintentional damage that happens during legal flights, transportation or handling. At Coverdrone, accidental damage cover includes protection for your drone equipment in the air and for your ground-based drone equipment (e.g., your controller and battery packs).
Accidental damage at Coverdrone includes protection against some of the most common reasons for drone insurance claims, including:
- Weather-related incidents
- Crashes caused by pilot error
- Loss of data link leading to a crash
- Mechanical failure‑related damage
- Bird strikes
You can read more about what’s covered by accidental loss/damage to equipment cover by visiting our main policies page and viewing our recreational and commercial cover comparison table.
Does Drone Insurance Cover Crashes?
Yes, specialist Drone Insurance provides cover for accidental damage caused by crashes during legal, compliant flights, whether the issue stems from a misjudged manoeuvre, a sudden environmental factor, or a technical malfunction.
Some manufacturer protection plans cover repair or replacement (such as DJI Care Refresh), and these plans often function as extended warranties rather than insurance policies, meaning you may not receive the same level of cover. For example, at the time of writing, the Service Process for DJI Care Express and Online Repair Request states:
“If you are unable to provide all of the components required for the replacement service, you will be required to pay additional material costs for the missing components; otherwise, the Accidental Damage Replacement service will not be available.”
Although this is a specific scenario, it’s an example of where specialist Drone Insurance stands apart from manufacturer protection plans. While these plans can be beneficial, they have limitations: they are often more akin to extended warranty plans than to a dedicated insurance policy.
With Coverdrone, you can be covered not only for damage to your drone but also for accidental loss, including scenarios where the drone cannot be recovered. You can also get public liability cover (for all operators) and professional indemnity cover (for commercial operators), types of cover unlikely to be available from a manufacturer’s protection plan.
Are Flyaways Covered?
Flyaways remain one of the most worrying situations for drone operators, and they’re one of the most common claim types across the industry.
Our recent article on the Top 10 Reasons for Drone Insurance Claims shows that flyaways are a frequent claim category, with contributing factors including GPS signal loss, compass interference, and flying beyond visual line of sight.
With Coverdrone, accidental loss cover includes flyaways, meaning you’re protected even if the drone cannot be recovered, something not always included in manufacturer repair programmes.
Do Drone Insurers Actually Pay Out for Accidental Damage?
A frequent concern among operators is whether insurers honour claims. Our claims data and anecdotal evidence from across the drone community show that operators have successfully claimed for accidental damage with Coverdrone, including quick and smooth payouts for crashes and equipment damage.
Our in-house claims team successfully settled 96% of the claims we received last year* which, when you combine with the fact that we highlighted that accidental damage was the second most common type of claim in 2025, indicates that at Coverdrone, we settle accidental damage claims for our customers in the vast majority of cases.
What’s Not Covered by Accidental Damage Insurance?
Accidental damage cover is intended to protect you against a range of unexpected incidents, and while this will include pilot error, there are exclusions to ensure clarity and fairness. These include:
- Damage resulting from intentionally unsafe or reckless drone activities
- Flying that doesn’t comply with the local aviation regulations where the flight took place
- Drone usages that fall outside the manufacturer’s recommendations.
- General wear and tear
- Drone(s) that aren’t included on the policy schedule (to avoid this happening, read our guide to keeping your drone insurance up to date)
Coverdrone policies clearly outline all terms, so you always know what is and isn’t included and covered by your policy. We recommend that customers review their policy documents for a full list of what isn’t covered.
Why Drone Operators Choose Accidental Damage Cover
The benefits of accidental damage cover are significant, so it’s understandable why businesses and recreational drone operators choose to add it to their policy. Just some of the benefits accidental damage cover provides include:
- Protection against repair or replacement costs from an insurable incident
- Peace of mind when flying in challenging environments
- Confidence for commercial operators who rely on uptime
- Protection that goes beyond manufacturer warranties
As drones become more advanced and valuable, having the right insurance in place is a smart, cost‑effective decision.
Accidental Damage Insurance FAQs
Does accidental damage insurance cover pilot error?
Yes. Accidental damage cover includes damage caused by mistakes made during normal operation, provided the drone is being operated legally and safely to begin with. As we covered in our Top 10 Reasons for Drone Insurance Claims article, pilot error is one of the leading causes of drone insurance claims.
Will insurance cover my drone if it crashes into a building or vehicle?
Yes, specialist Drone Insurance covers accidental crashes into structures, vehicles or objects. It’s important to be aware that accidental damage will only cover your equipment and not any damage you may have caused to a third party’s property. To protect yourself against these types of incidents, you’ll need Public Liability cover, which is a legal requirement for commercial operators, strongly recommended for recreational operators, and compulsory in some regions.
Remember that you are responsible for ensuring you operate your drone in compliance with the laws in the region where you are operating.
What happens if my drone is damaged but I can recover it?
Accidental damage cover protects you against repair or replacement costs, depending on the severity of the damage, which you will be able to assess when you retrieve your drone, so it’s always beneficial to be able to recover your drone if it’s damaged.
What if I lose the drone and cannot retrieve it?
Coverdrone provides accidental loss cover, including flyaways when the aircraft cannot be recovered, a claim type that occurs frequently, according to our Top 10 Reasons for Drone Insurance Claims article. This means that you don’t need to recover your drone to claim for such an incident under your policy, provided you have accidental loss/damage to equipment cover on your policy, and you have operated your drone safely and within the law and regulations of the region you were in at the time of the incident.
Are mechanical failures covered?
Yes, mechanical failure that results in accidental damage can be covered by a specialist Drone Insurance policy, so long as you operate your drone safely and in accordance with the laws and regulations of the region where the incident occurred. This aligns with data showing mechanical failure as a contributing cause in previous drone claims.
Does manufacturer protection (e.g., DJI plans) replace drone insurance?
Manufacturer plans may help with repair or replacement due to accidental damage, but generally require the drone to be recovered. They often do not cover flyaways, theft, or public liability; limitations that might make a big difference or be required if you’re a commercial drone operator.
Some drone operators choose to complement manufacturer plans with a specialist Drone Insurance policy. In contrast, others prefer to have everything under one roof to streamline the claims process if they ever need to use the service (for example, at Coverdrone, we have an in-house Claims Team).
Does drone insurance cover damage from extreme misuse or reckless flying?
No, Drone Insurance only covers accidental, unintentional damage that occurs during operations conducted safely and in accordance with the laws and regulations of the area where the drone was operated at the time of the incident. At Coverdrone, policy cover excludes intentional or negligent damage, misuse, and operation outside the manufacturer’s guidelines.
Can I get public liability cover alongside accidental damage protection?
Yes, Coverdrone offers public liability insurance alongside equipment cover, offering drone operators comprehensive protection against both equipment damage and third‑party claims.
Summary
- You can get cover for accidental damage and crashes through Drone Insurance
- Accidental damage cover is available for recreational and commercial drone operators
- It can be purchased independently or as part of a more comprehensive Drone Insurance policy
Get Protection for Your Drone
At Coverdrone, our accidental damage and accidental loss cover gives both recreational and commercial drone operators the reassurance they need, whether you’re flying for fun, filming professionally, surveying infrastructure or launching complex operations.
We provide specialist Drone Insurance to cover real‑world flying scenarios, protecting you in the event of an incident. We’re here to give you the peace of mind you need to focus on what matters: operating your drone.
* In 2025, 96% of all commercial claims were settled successfully.
