Helicopter Crash May Be First Aircraft Collision Linked To UAV Written 20 February 2018
Bloomberg News reported that the crash landing of a helicopter in South Carolina last week “may have been triggered by a civilian drone, which would make it the first drone-related crash of an aircraft in the US.” The incident occurred last Wednesday and involved a student pilot and instructor, “both of whom told investigators that a small drone appeared directly in front of them, according to a Charleston Police Department report.” The instructor took over the controls and attempted to avoid a collision, during which the tail of the helicopter “hit a tree or brush, triggering a crash landing.” The FAA has not confirmed the “possible role of the drone,” but the National Transportation Safety Board is “aware of initial reports that a drone may have been involved in the crash and is gathering information on the case, spokesman Chris O’Neil said in an email Thursday.”
More Info (Bloomberg News)
More Info (Bloomberg News)