Pilot Crashes Drone into Seattle Space Needle, May Face Jail and Fine
A drone pilot crashed his camera drone into Seattle’s iconic Space Needle on New Years Eve, and they may now be facing charges.
CNN reports that police have identified the owner of the drone using its serial number. The FAA began requiring drone owners to register their drones in 2016 for incidents just like this latest one in Seattle.
While Seattle doesn’t currently have any drone ordinances, it’s considering charging the drone owner with reckless endangerment, a gross misdemeanor which could carry a penalty of up to 364 days in jail and a $5,000 fine.
“It looks like the drone tractor beam we installed on the Space Needle is working,” Space Needle CEO Ron Sevart tells CNN. He says it’s the third time Space Needle management has recovered a drone at the famous landmark.
(via CNN via Paleofuture)