A remote pilot is flying at 300 feet AGL when the aircraft stops responding to control inputs. The drone enters its preprogrammed failsafe and begins a slow automatic descent. What is the remote pilot's primary responsibility at this point?

Why →A lost link event does not end the remote PIC's responsibility for safety. The aircraft is still in the air and still poses a hazard. Under § 107.19, the remote PIC must maintain safety of the operation at all times. During a failsafe descent, the PIC should attempt link recovery, monitor the descent path for obstacles and people, and actively manage the landing zone. Contacting ATC is not a Part 107 requirement for a lost link event. Waiting passively is a failure of PIC duty.

The trap →Contacting ATC is not required by Part 107 for a lost link event. ATC notification requirements apply to specific airspace operations, not equipment failures in uncontrolled airspace. Documenting and waiting treats PIC authority as ending when control is lost, which it does not.

Field note →Know your aircraft's failsafe behavior before every flight. Does it return to home, hover, or descend? Where is the home point set? A failsafe that descends over a crowd is a preflight planning failure, not a technology failure.