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DJI Phantom Crashes in Manhattan

Sjekk video her: http://tinyurl.com/o93fj5d

Posted on October 4, 2013 by The Editor

A small helicopter flying high above buildings on the East side of Manhattan crash landed just feet away from a businessman during the Monday evening rush hour.The FAA says it should not have been flying hundreds of feet above a crowded Manhattan sidewalk. The businessman who almost took a direct hit from the unmanned device, recovered its video card from the debris and then reached out to us.
The video from the crashed UAS shows it taking off from a high-rise terrace in Midtown Manhattan on Monday. It’s evening rush hour and below thousands of New Yorkers are heading home, unaware that 20 to 30 stories above them, a small, 3-pound radio-controlled helicopter with a camera is flying overhead.
“Choosing their own personal enjoyment over any of the consequences,” a businessman, who asked not to be identified, told us.
The financial analyst contacted us after it crash landed just feet away from him as he was walking home Monday near Grand Central Station.
“My first thought was someone has done something reckless and could have put people in danger,” he said.
The UAS’ camera records video of some of the city’s most iconic buildings: The Chrysler, Met-Life, and Grand Central. It’s clear though the operator is inexperienced as he loses control of the unmanned aircraft several times, slamming it into high rises. The flight 300-to-400 feet above Midtown lasts about 3 minutes before it strikes the corner of a building and crashes to the street below, missing the businessman by feet:
“They made conscious decision to fly something they don’t have control over obviously through the most crowded city, most crowded time of the day and I can’t believe there’s no law against this,” he said.
Full footage from the crashed UAS can be seen here
We’ve learned the UAS is called the Phantom Quadcopter because of its four plastic rotor blades. It can be bought on the internet for under $500 dollars. Although small, the FAA considers it an “unmanned aircraft system.”
A spokeswoman tells us, “We do not currently permit the operation of unmanned aircraft over congested areas like Manhattan.”
“The people who did it are clearly identifiable on the video,” he said.
The financial analyst says he called police and showed them the video, which identifies the drone operator. Despite seeing something and saying something, he claims police did nothing.
“I got the sense they knew it was something out of the ordinary and they didn’t know how to handle it,” he said.
The NYPD says the incident is being investigated to determine whether reckless endangerment is involved.

Alaska Commercial ScanEagle Flight Experiences Engine Failure

Posted on October 4, 2013 by The Editor

The first FAA-approved commercial flights of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) met with mixed results following a successful first flight and unsuccessful second.
The first flight occurred on 12 September, including the successful launch and recovery of an Insitu ScanEagle. The aircraft, which is routinely flown by the US and UK navies, amongst others, conducted a 36-minute test flight over the Chukchi Sea near northern Alaska.
The second flight, which occurred shortly thereafter, ended when the engine shut off during flight and crashed into the sea. “The aircraft experienced engine failure and – as it is programmed to do – aborted the flight into the water. The aircraft was recovered,” says ConocoPhillips, which operates the aircraft with Insitu. The condition of the aircraft is unknown as of press time.
A large portion of airspace in northern Alaska was opened to commercial UAS flights after a Congressional mandate was inserted into the FAA’s 2013 funding reauthorization. The FAA is also mandated to introduce small UAS into national airspace by late 2015.
Though UAS routinely operate in civil US airspace, the flights are conducted by government or military branches, and must conform to strict rules. Such rules often include spotters on the ground or a chase plane in the air, sticking to a pre-defined route and staying well away from crewed aircraft.