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)