A local news story reported the first helicopter vs drone accident in our area.
The helicopter pilot, identified only as Sam, stated that he had been drinking heavily before taking a short flight in his Shurfly electric copter from J&J’s Tavern and Airport grill down towards his residence. During the flight, Sam admitted to nearly missing several light poles, but due to his keen reaction time and dexterous flying skills, narrowly missed hitting two of the three he targeted.
At 2:00pm local time, Sam reported seeing a small hovering object to his immediate right at about 100 ft altitude. The object seemed to be floating above a wide open area, darting in various directions in a manner that Sam felt was oddly slow and cautious. Sam reported the sighting, recalling the chill he felt in seeing the strange craft. He had some difficulty in reaching the tower, as he couldn’t remember how to use the radio which may have led to a delay in alerting authorities to a potential threat.
Between 2:30 and 2:45, Sam concerned as to the nature and purpose of the craft, dropped altitude and heading directly for the object. As he drew near, he noticed the craft attempt to move away from his position and to begin descending. Fearing for his safety, and assuming the craft was angling for an attack, Sam adjusted his course and speed to intercept what he was now certain was a direct danger to his helicopter, other craft in the area and the public in general.
At 2:47pm, having no other options to protect himself, Sam took a final drag on a marijuana cigarette he had been smoking and dived towards the object. A desperate call was made to the tower, in which Sam calmly and bravely explained the situation and asked that they tell his wife he loved her. At 2:48pm, the object collided with Sam’s Shurfly, denting his left landing bar and leaving a small scratch along the side. The object, now identified as a DJI Phantom 4 UAV or Unmanned Aerial vehicle, was completely destroyed.
After landing near the crash sight, finishing his cigarette and opening a fresh beer, Sam told local bystanders he was just glad to be alive. Later, when law enforcement arrived, he recounted his harrowing story, much to their shock and dismay.
The “Drone” pilot was quickly tracked down and taken into custody. A fully “licensed pilot”, the operator is facing several major felonies, including reckless endangerment, negligent operation of a dangerous aerial vehicle, and endangering public safety. Local politicians are calling for quick justice for these clearly reckless acts and overhauls to the weak and ineffective laws governing a risky, dangerous and ever proliferating public nuisance. “The Drone must be stopped!” exclaimed the mayor of our city as he commented on this, the most recent incident of the dangers of drones in our sky.
The helicopter pilot, identified only as Sam, stated that he had been drinking heavily before taking a short flight in his Shurfly electric copter from J&J’s Tavern and Airport grill down towards his residence. During the flight, Sam admitted to nearly missing several light poles, but due to his keen reaction time and dexterous flying skills, narrowly missed hitting two of the three he targeted.
At 2:00pm local time, Sam reported seeing a small hovering object to his immediate right at about 100 ft altitude. The object seemed to be floating above a wide open area, darting in various directions in a manner that Sam felt was oddly slow and cautious. Sam reported the sighting, recalling the chill he felt in seeing the strange craft. He had some difficulty in reaching the tower, as he couldn’t remember how to use the radio which may have led to a delay in alerting authorities to a potential threat.
Between 2:30 and 2:45, Sam concerned as to the nature and purpose of the craft, dropped altitude and heading directly for the object. As he drew near, he noticed the craft attempt to move away from his position and to begin descending. Fearing for his safety, and assuming the craft was angling for an attack, Sam adjusted his course and speed to intercept what he was now certain was a direct danger to his helicopter, other craft in the area and the public in general.
At 2:47pm, having no other options to protect himself, Sam took a final drag on a marijuana cigarette he had been smoking and dived towards the object. A desperate call was made to the tower, in which Sam calmly and bravely explained the situation and asked that they tell his wife he loved her. At 2:48pm, the object collided with Sam’s Shurfly, denting his left landing bar and leaving a small scratch along the side. The object, now identified as a DJI Phantom 4 UAV or Unmanned Aerial vehicle, was completely destroyed.
After landing near the crash sight, finishing his cigarette and opening a fresh beer, Sam told local bystanders he was just glad to be alive. Later, when law enforcement arrived, he recounted his harrowing story, much to their shock and dismay.
The “Drone” pilot was quickly tracked down and taken into custody. A fully “licensed pilot”, the operator is facing several major felonies, including reckless endangerment, negligent operation of a dangerous aerial vehicle, and endangering public safety. Local politicians are calling for quick justice for these clearly reckless acts and overhauls to the weak and ineffective laws governing a risky, dangerous and ever proliferating public nuisance. “The Drone must be stopped!” exclaimed the mayor of our city as he commented on this, the most recent incident of the dangers of drones in our sky.
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