Local PD Posted This on FB
- Thread starter Phantom Texan
- Start date
dirkclod
Premium Pilot
1. Have to read that as DJI "4 propeller" drone, not as DJI 4 "propeller drone". At first glance it does look as though they are talking about a Phantom 4, but on viewing the pictures and seeing a Phantom 1, one would go back to the text and see that it's a "4 propeller" drone.they are talking about. Your "critical thinking" cap should be on ALL the time!
2. Most participants in this thread miss the obvious, and that since it's a "drone" and was found in someone's yard who was not aware of who owned it that the police would not look at this as a FAA "reckless operation" issue (which without an eye witness would be impossible to even determine, much less enforce), but would treat it as a trespass and violation of privacy issue, fully within the local jurisdiction.
3. From the photo it looks like there was no camera on board (though it could be just hard to see), so there would be no basis for violation of privacy, and little basis for a trespass charge as it could have been flying well above the property and did a battery low landing, among other benign scenarios for how it got there (like if it were a baseball as someone else mentioned).
4. However, the first thing the police likely would have done is inspect for either FAA or AMA numbers to identify the owner. And lacking those, would report then this to the FAA if and when the owner was identified. Again, without a witness, it would be informational only as it would be impossible to tie a particular operator to any particular flight and the manner the drone ended up in the yard doesn't necessarily involve it being flown (wife gets mad and throws the drone, it ends up in the yard, etc). Note- I doubt the PD would know that they may be able to ID the owner by calling DJI with the Naza controller's serial number...
5. It is possible (though unlikely) that the local PD is looking to implement their own drone program and are looking for a drone pilot, though if this guy lost his drone he MAY not be the right candidate for law enforcement operations...
6. The owner should line up a lawyer and then go down on a weekend to pick it up. Most likely they'll question him as to how it got there and stuff and tell him to register with the FAA, but that would likely be it. If it gets more intense then he can call the lawyer in to assist. Unless there WAS a camera on-board and it was removed before the photo was taken (or it's THERE but hard to see in the picture), then he MAY need to show up with a lawyer. But IF they manage to track it down to him, it's better that he cooperate and showing up to retrieve it goes a long way in that direction. If they have to track him down it's less likely they would let him off with a warning. And if there was a camera on-board they can track the flight from it's origin, so it may not take them long.
And as with everything I post on this forum, this is my opinion and is not to be construed as any sort of legal advice as I'm not a lawyer and have never even played one on TV (though watched a lot a Perry Mason while growing up, women from late 1950s and early 1960s are just SO hot and you know Perry Mason- there's always a woman involved! There, I said it, dammit, I'm a Perry Mason fan...).
Last edited:
And what would receipt would you show your preparer or the IRS?
I was looking at an auction site my local police have for confiscated items and such. They had a Phantom 3 Advanced listed. Had 75 bids with highest being $371, doesn't come with remote. Seems like something like this may start to be more common.
While you are right about the authority distinction (FAA vs local PD), if you challenge the local cops they will be offended and reach for any administrative weapon at hand with which to engage you, which could very conceivably be a charge of "reckless endangerment."
Even if it gets kicked out at arraignment, they don't care. What is important to them is they will have greatly inconvenienced you and cost you some lawyer money, which will teach you not to be smarty-pants with the po-lice.
Advice to the P1 owner: If you go the police station to possibly collect your crashed drone, assume an extremely submissive and intimidated posture. If possible, try to shed a tear or two. Tremble when you speak, apologize profusely and end every sentence with, "Sir."
Once you have rendered a sufficient amount of ego gratification and have been subjected to a firm lecture about your dangerous action you probably will be allowed to leave with your drone.
Last edited:
If you ever get bored, click on all of the helipads and airports everywhere you go. You won't be able to fly anywhere but some random gameland woods.I wouldn't fly in or around Deer Park.......check out this screenshot from B4UFly app. Lots of airports and helipads there.
Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots mobile app
They are I've crashed mine couple times .
If ya go get it they might put you behind the glass to pick it out of a line up .
Similar threads
