Death by drone is only a matter of time, an Adelaide-based aviation software company has warned.

Avinet chief executive office Mike Mulvihill said more drones were in the air than ever before and it was not a matter of if but when Australia would record its first fatality caused by the illegal or misuse of the small aircraft.

Mulvihill said the spike in drone usage by private individuals, hobbyists and emerging hiring operators had increased the risk and, he told InDaily, unless users acquired better knowledge the industry “chatter” was someone would be killed.

“The general consensus amongst experienced aviation operators, on the topic of UAS, is that an accident associated with UAS usage is imminent,” he said.

“It is a case of when it will happen, not if it will happen.”

Injury by drone sprung into the headlines earlier this year when Spanish-born singer Enrique Iglesias was hurt by a craft flown above his stage in Tijuana.

Iglesias’ hand was severely cut when he reached up and tried to grab the camera drone as it flew by during the May concert.

Mulvihill said increased private and “largely uninformed” drone use had created a safety issue not seen before in general airspace.

“The technical capability and affordability of drones has taken the use of these UAS into a grey area where there are sound fundamental regulations in place but a general ignorance on the part of the new user group of what safety and compliance regimes are necessary for their operation,” Mulvihill said.

“The United States and New Zealand are reporting weekly incidents of breaches of airspace by poorly managed drones, including such mishaps as drones crashing into helicopter cockpit and we are likely to start witnessing the same trend in local airspace.

He said the use of drones by “responsible corporations” was not the concern.

“They understand their obligations for corporate governance and compliance with the safety laws and the need to maintain certifiable schedules of operational activity and regulatory approvals.

“The current regulations are very clearly stated, and ignorance of the law is not an excuse or a plea if an incident happens.

“What Australian users need to respect within the burgeoning hobby and light commercial drone market is that the main hurdle they face is not a technological or flying issue but a regulatory one.”

Mulvihill said the increase in use of drones around high-populated areas, such as beaches, sporting arenas.

“And more scarily, the vicinity of fixed or rotary wing flights approaching airports – open spaces popular with drone novices but not necessarily legal air space for these UAS,” he said.