First off these guys were in the wrong and got caught, I am not defending the stupidity of flying close to an aircraft. However, to create a story with a headline "nearly hit" misleading most. Drones can be dangerous if flown next to aircraft. This is theoretically possible and flyers should stay away to avoid being arrested or at fault for a death!!
Original story with photos here:
TWO MANHATTAN men were arrested early Monday after they piloted a drone close to the George Washington Bridge and nearly struck an NYPD helicopter, police sources said.
Wilkins Mendoza, 34, and Remy Castro, 23, were remotely piloting a DGI Phantom 2 drone as it flew near the Hudson River crossing, at about 800 feet in the air, around midnight, the sources said. An NYPD helicopter crew spotted the drone and observed the unmanned aircraft as it circled the Spuyten Duyvil Bridge over the Harlem River about 12:20 a.m., the sources said.
At one point, the NYPD helicopter pilot had to veer off course to avoid being struck by the drone, the sources said.
The helicopter crew followed the drone and watched it touch down at Fairview Ave. and Fort George Hill in Inwood.
Mendoza and Castro, both of Inwood, were arrested at the landing zone at 12:34 a.m., and police also recovered a second drone, the sources said.
Both men were arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court on a single felony count of Class D reckless endangerment, a charge stemming from the fact the pilot said he felt the drone endangered the NYPD helicopter.
But a prosecutor requested the men be released without bail, and a judge agreed.
A prosecutor told the judge that police reported the drone as having flown 2,000 feet in the air, but a defense attorney said the model used can only fly at heights of 300 feet.
Comments
Sure so do birds what is the accident rate on that?
"The number of major accidents involving civil aircraft is quite low and it has been estimated that there is only about 1 accident resulting in human death in one billion (109) flying hours.[4] " wikipedia
It is a possibility, but no doubt stupidity to fly next to aircraft. I hope this educates others on not flying next to aircraft!!
@Rob - I haven't read the article yet but a lot of your assertions regarding collisions are misleading. Every accident/collision is different and your friend's sounds to have been very unusual. A phantom into a tail rotor, engine intake or through the pilot's canopy could easily bring down a helicopter.
@Rob,
If the Phantom had struck the fuselage of the helicopter in the area of the turbine intake and broke apart causing debris to be ingested by the turbine, it could have brought the helicopter down.
I realize that it is a possible but not probable scenario, however it would just take one occurrence like this to further jeprodize the fate of sUASs.
Regards,
TCIII ArduRover2 Developer
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