Originally published at: Drone Strikes Texas-Flood Rescue Helicopter Causing Forced Landing - AVweb
No injuries, but collision took emergency rotorcraft out of service.
â1) ALL ACFT ENTERING OR EXITING THE TFR MUST BE ON AN ACT IFR OR VFR FLT PLAN WITH A DISCRETE CODE ASSIGNED BY AN AIR TFC CTL (ATC) FAC. ACFT MUST BE SQUAWKING THE DISCRETE CODE PRIOR TO DEP AND AT ALL TIMES WHILE IN THE TFR. 2) ALL ACFT ENTERING OR EXITING THE TFR MUST REMAIN IN TWO - WAY RADIO COM WITH ATC. 3) ONLY RELIEF ACFT OPS COORDINATED DIRECTLY WITH THE LISTED POINT OF CONTACT ARE AUTHORIZED TO LOITER IN THE AIRSPACE.â
TFRâs fail to explicitly ban birds or toys; it just just mentions âaircraftâ.
So yea, a bird (or toy the size of a bird) are still in the area.
If you wanna ban toys and birds, then mention them in the TFR.
An aircraft is defined as any machine capable of flying, including those with or without a pilot on board.
Here we go again. Another Rhodes scholarship member, deciding to take it upon themselves to scout out the situation in an emergency area. Much like the police helicopter that hit a drone on a surveillance mission.
Except for ultralights which the FAA states are vehicles, not aircraft.
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Thatâs not as true as it used to be. The FAA came out with a legal opinion that ultralights are indeed aircraft, and do not have the special privileges that might accrue from not being aircraft. Also, some TFRs, I think VIP TFRs, prohibit operation of anything airborne, including kites and model aircraft. Iâll let you look up the details.
Drones in navigable airspace has been a problem that continues unabated. While managing an international aviation activity 10+ years ago I experienced damage done to fixed and rotor wing aircraft from hobby drones. That damage was tied by our technicians to drones from the residual pieces remaining stuck in the airframes. The era of âbig sky, little airplaneâ is over (not that it was ever true). There was a handful of damage events that we could not tie to drones but, due to the sharp angle damage, suspected.
It is well past the time to get ADS-B (or similar technology) on all drones or ground them. The user community has not demonstrated the necessary knowledge and commitment to flight safety to continue permitting these devices.
This is another instance of potentially avoidable death caused by a irresponsible drone operator? Whats the goal? Interrupting rescue and recovery operations? Footage for salviating Youtube/ Tiktok or Instagram consumers?
The FAA needs to find this person and JAIL them. Make an example!!! Prosecute and give the maximum sentence. Another person was operating a drone and hit the Mars tanker. How many more times does this have to happen before someone realizes itâs DANGEROUS and AGAINST THE LAW!!! When someone is killed?
PROSECUTE and publisize on ALL major networks. Make sure this âpilotâ gets JAIL time!
âAn aircraft is defined as any machine capable of flyingâ
Per the TFR they must also have 2-way voice communications, and a transponder, and be on a flight plan. The flight plan part means that they are still defining aircraft as being registered and having registered pilots. That makes sense since the the FAA cannot regulate what they do not control.
Just saying that the TFR system was designed for manned aircraft; not for kites, toy copters, model rockets, arial fireworks, balloons, etc. Those things in uncontrolled airspace are controlled by local ordinances.
There was a case of an RCMP drone getting in the way of an RCMP helicopter in NW BC. Drone operator was not properly coordinated with helo. Helo landed OK and was airlifted away for maintenance/repair.
(Surveillance was of eco-scum obstructing construction of natural gas pipeline, at one point they attacked workers.)
During the disastrous flood event many helicopters extracted a large number of people.
A Coast Guard rescue swimmer was early on the scene, established two open locations for helicopters to land at, and prioritized evacuees (âtriageâ). Some children had been outside wet for several hours.
Yeah, right. LOL. The TFR extends to the surface, so the underlying airspace is all controlled for the duration of the TFR. The phrase âONLY RELIEF ACFT OPS COORDINATED DIRECTLY WITH THE LISTED POINT OF CONTACT ARE AUTHORIZED TO LOITER IN THE AIRSPACEâ pretty much covers the entire restriction. You contradict yourself in your âexpertâ analysis of the TFR. Regardless, if thereâs no transponder, FP, and no 2 way communication capability, the operation is prohibited in the TFR. Since a drone comes under the broad definition of âaircraft,â they are prohibited in the TFR unless those three conditions are met. Itâs unfortunate that a TFR had to be issued in the first place, but stupid is as stupid does.
Itâs been amazing; over 800 arial rescues in just 2 days.
FAR Part 107 defines operating limitations for both Commercial and Recreational drones. Neither are permitted to fly in controlled airspace or over Emergency Response Efforts without prior permission. This was clearly a violation of the operating rules unless the pilot had prior permission from the governing authority. Either way it is the responsibility of the drone operator to see and avoid other aircraft. A licensed drone operator would know this so it is likely this was a recreational drone operator. Recreational drone operators flying drone weighing less than 250g are not required to register them with the FAA. The result is that it is very difficult to identify the perpetrator and enforce these rules. The government makes lots of rules it canât easily enforce. In the end it the responsibility of the individual to do the right thing. Unfortunately there are always folks that donât care about following the rules. Drunk drivers and GA pilots that ignore FAA rules and the operation limitations of their aircraft come to mind. In the end it is the responsibility of all of us to hold our fellow pilots (and drone operators) accountable for their actions.
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AJ said, âIf you wanna ban toys and birds, then mention them in the TFR.â
Yeah, thatâll work, AJ. You think these morons read TFRs? They donât even read the Owners Manual.
Brian H. thinks that the FAA should jail them. Um, the FAA doesnât have the power to incarcerate, thankfully. Current events in major cities in the US demonstrate the danger of giving that power to too many governmental agencies.
And Bob quotes Part 107 placing the responsibility for see&avoid on the drone operator. Yeah, right. Try telling a 14-year old who just got a shiny new toy for his birthday, that he has to read the Owners Manual first. Forget about him reading any FARs, TFRs, SUAâs, and a myriad other boring acronymic minutia, before he can go out and play with his shiny new toy. âThe box just says âoutdoor use recommendedâ, and Iâm outside, alright? Where else am I supposed to fly it?â
Birds are, generally speaking, not much of a risk to helicopters because they have excellent senses and an innate concept of self-preservation. And we make a lot of noiseâŚ
Toys, otoh, come with instructions that you have to âreadâ (ugh!) and should follow. (yeah, rightâŚ)
As a chopper pilot who rarely sees four-digit AGLs, Iâve been railing about this insidious and looming danger to rotorcraft for years, and not just in this forum. If I had my way, all such passenger-less aerial mines should have a shotgun shell bonded into their controllers, which is triggered by the droneâs contact with anything above 250â agl. You wouldnât have to blow the hands off of more than a couple of idiots before the rest of them start to take seriously the danger they pose to the rest of us.
In the olden days, we called it âMutually Assured Destructionâ, and it worked.
There was 'way more to that story than your âirrationalâ pejorative characterization, Keith
Totally agree with Drewâs comments. I have had two close calls with drones, one at the hold short line waiting for clearance with a drone hovering right in my path within 100 ft and another in the air where we missed colliding by less than 50 feet. âSee and be seenâ is useless policy when it comes to people irresponsibly flying drones in crowded airspace, especially around airports.
Everyone assumes âmotorizedâ flight but what about hot air balloons and kites. Those can get to a pretty good altitude so they need to be considered too. They can have cameras and be deployed by those trying to snoop around emergency situations! Iâve done it in the past for fun but not in a rescue environment!