The NTSB has
concluded the operator of a UAV that crashed into an Army helicopter over Staten Island in September
intentionally flew the drone out of visual range and lacked in-depth knowledge
of regulations governing its use.
The small
unmanned aircraft was destroyed, and the Army helicopter sustained a scuffed
fuselage and rotor blade damage. Debris from the UAS were also found in the
helicopter’s oil cooler. The damaged rotor blades were swapped out, and the
Black Hawk was put back into service the next day.
According to
the NTSB, the operator flew the device 2.5 miles away with only a map on his
tablet as a guide. While the operator said he was aware of the 400-foot
altitude limit, logs showed earlier that day he had flown the UAS to a height
of 547 feet at nearly 2 miles away. The NTSB board concluded that distance was “unlikely to be within visual line of sight.”
The pilot claims
he was unaware his UAS had crashed until NTSB investigators contacted him.
The Black
Hawk, part of the 82nd Airborne Division based in Fort Bragg, N.C., was in New York providing support for the U.N. General Assembly. Army officials
believe this is the first time an incident like this has happened.
This
incident underscores NAAA’s efforts to increase UAS safety by urging federal
regulators to require all UAS be equipped with visible strobe lights and ADS-B
out or LATAS (Low Altitude Tracking and Avoidance)-like tracking technology so
they can be easily located by manned aircraft. NAAA has also created a checklist if you have an encounter with an
unmanned aircraft.
