EASA MoC M2: A Complete Guide to Certifying Drone Parachute Systems and Reducing Risk

As drone operations become more ambitious, especially in the “Specific” category, safety becomes the top priority. A failure during flight over a populated area is not an option. This is where emergency parachute systems come into play — a key technology for mitigating risks in case of an incident.

But how can an operator or aviation authority know that a parachute system is truly reliable? The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has established a clear path through Means of Compliance (MoC). This document is your quick guide to understanding what they are and what they require for parachute systems.

What are EASA’s Means of Compliance (MoC)?

In short, an MoC is a technical guideline published by EASA that describes an accepted method to demonstrate that a safety system, such as a parachute, complies with regulations. While not the only way to demonstrate compliance, following an MoC is the most direct and predictable path to obtain approval from the aviation authority.

For parachutes, the key document is the MoC for Mitigation M2, which focuses on reducing ground risk. The main goal of this mitigation is to achieve a risk reduction of approximately 90%.

Types of Risk Reduction with Parachutes

MoC M2 defines three strategies for reducing ground risk. Parachute systems can be designed to meet one or more of these:

Type 1 (Critical Area Reduction): The goal is precision — reducing the size of the potential impact area. A parachute that minimizes wind drift and ensures a more vertical descent is a good example of this strategy.

Type 2 (Lethality Reduction): The aim here is to reduce impact force. In case of collision with a person, the likelihood of causing a fatal injury should be very low (less than 10%). A common method to demonstrate this is ensuring the maximum impact energy is below 175 joules.

Type 3 (Combined): As the name suggests, this is a solution that combines partial impact area reduction with partial lethality reduction to reach the overall goal of 90% risk reduction.

The 3 Key Tests Your Parachute System Must Pass

To demonstrate that a parachute system complies with MoC M2, the manufacturer or operator must provide evidence supporting three fundamental claims:

The parachute actually reduces impact effects It’s not enough to claim the parachute works — it must be proven. This is done through tests measuring descent characteristics. At minimum, one representative flight test is required to collect key data such as descent speed and the drone’s behavior after activation.

The parachute reliably works when needed This is the ultimate reliability test. The system must function correctly even after the drone has suffered a major failure. To demonstrate this, the MoC requires:
- A minimum of 30 representative activation and deployment tests.
- All 30 tests must be successful. If even one fails, the manufacturer must identify and correct the root cause and then repeat the full series of 30 tests.
- At least one of these 30 tests must be conducted in a representative flight state.

The parachute does not introduce new risks A safety system should not become a hazard itself. The main concern here is unintentional activation. The parachute must not deploy by mistake during normal flight, as this could cause an accident. The manufacturer must demonstrate that the probability of this happening is sufficiently low, especially for higher-risk operations.

Conclusion

Parachute systems are an essential tool for safely conducting advanced drone operations. EASA’s Means of Compliance, particularly the MoC for Mitigation M2, provide a clear and standardized pathway for manufacturers and operators to demonstrate the reliability and effectiveness of their systems. By following these guidelines and passing the required tests, the industry can ensure these safety technologies fulfill their promise: protecting people on the ground and enabling the future of drone flight.