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Phantom pilot arrested

Posted by Chris Anderson on October 18, 2013 at 11:50am

The pilot of the Phantom that crashed on a Manhattan street earlier this month has been arrested, ABC reports:

David Zablidowsky of Brooklyn has been charged with "Reckless Endangerment" for allegedly losing control of a helicopter drone at "an unreasonable height creating a substantial risk of serious physical injury". 

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Comments

  • Rob Burrows November 10, 2013 at 6:46pm
    Cool flying. Fun video to watch. You are obviously not some beginner pilot flying around. But I have to agree with Andy and Marco. If you do have an electronic component failure flying over that freeway bad things could happen. It happens to the best pilots at unpredictable times. It hasnt happened to you yet, but the more time you expose yourself to the risk the more likely it could happen to you.
  • Alex O. November 10, 2013 at 6:20pm

    Fair enough. Thank you...

  • Justin Oakes November 10, 2013 at 6:07pm
    ~10 years of RC everything. Mainly planes and 1/8 buggies though. Have a couple hexas but don't fly them regularly. Bought the phantom to see how the rtf setups compare to my homemade, hobbyist grade stuff. Price dropped to $450 on amazon the other day so figured what the hell. Pretty cool for the money. Definitely not a "toy", as it's so often referred to on here.

    Giving to my brother probably though.
  • Alex O. November 10, 2013 at 5:24pm

    Hey Justin,

    Were you involved with R/C hobby prior to getting this Phantom unit?

    When saying R/C, I mean remote controlled, airplane, heli, car, boat etc.

    I am not going to make any comment to your answer at all. I am just wondering myself...

    Thanks

  • Doc Hicks November 10, 2013 at 5:03pm

    The manufacturers are going to have to make these R(FM)TF Ready (for Moron) to Fly idiot proof or they are going to kill their own market and take the rest of the RC flying market down with em.

    For one thing they ought to restrict the controller range way down. To about 150 yards, with a warning buzzer on the TX/phone/tablet when outside a 100 yard radius.

    It's certainly possible now to Geofence certain areas on the maps within the GPS programming so as to make it impossible to fly over built up areas, near airports etc.

    I see no reason that these R(FM)TF drones (yes these ARE drones since they are semi/fully autonomous) should not include factory fitted collision avoidance sensors.

    I wan't too happy when 3DRobotic announced Iris as it was the height of R(FM)TF dronesmanship .

    I don't know if it's absence from the store is good news (they are making it idiot proof before release), or bad news (they have sold out thousands of the nasty little blighters). 

  • Justin Oakes November 10, 2013 at 3:57pm

    Low profile? I draw massive attention. I mean anyone who see's one of these flying is going to ask questions--they always do. I've been flying for years and that's still the most bothersome part of this for me--being badgered with questions every time I'm spotted. I hardly ever get through all my batteries because I have to get out of there.

    These aren't illegal where I live. I'm betting they will be someday so I'm enjoying it while I can. Everyone who watches me fly enjoys it too by the way. I just got back from flying all around a skatepark and about 50 people came up to me amazed and excited. Maybe their attitudes would have been different had I crashed into one of their kids, but I didn't and that's highly unlikely.

    I am taking a minor risk though I guess. More than flying in those big open fields. Have fun with that buddy

  • AlanGP November 10, 2013 at 2:58pm

    Wonderful, another case of reckless endangerment and more evidence for the FAA - you Americans don't know how to keep a low profile - do you. Read my thoughts!!

  • Justin Oakes November 10, 2013 at 2:45pm

    Whoops, I erased my vid accidentally. I guess accidents can happen lol


    Reup:


    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHt7wgWt_zM

  • Justin Oakes November 10, 2013 at 2:42pm
    Understood
  • Shyam Balasubramanian November 10, 2013 at 2:38pm

    @Justin:

    What you put across in the video, looks cool and I appreciate your flying skills.

    But I have a few questions for you:

    1) Did you design the complete algorithm of the copter and/or do you understand the 'internal workings' of the machine that you are trying to fly (I guess not, as you are flying DJI). Even commercial helicopters pilots who may be having more experience than you, make mistakes.

    2) It is good that you are a confident flyer. I have been flying for years now and have had crashes due to copter going to some 'unknown' state (rare, but (can) happen).

    FAA worries that software is 'not yet' 100% safe to have made copter's autonomous!!

    So only, If that copter fell (for whatsoever reason) to one of those roads, what would have happened is nothing but:

    - Causing havoc on the road. Killing someone instantly due to accident with fast moving cars and you ending up in jail for multiple years even when there was no accident!

    - You endangering the hobby community.

    IMHO, I am just stating the facts, before you, others or we go down the roads of troubles by doing 'cool' stunts.

    Endangering can be done by anything as you rightly pointed out, but if you sit down and calmly reflect on what I just said probably you may get my (0.1% probability) point :)

    If you still wanna do these stunts, you are most welcome to, but posting videos would just satisfy your ego and tend to make a fool of yourself in this community after the 'Manhattan' incident.

    No offense meant!!

This reply was deleted.