A drone operator has become the first person to be convicted over a drone colliding with a manned aircraft.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) says the recreational drone pilot was convicted over the 2018 incident at Karioitahi Beach near Waiuku at the Manukau District Court yesterday.
“The conviction follows Judge Mina Wharepouri finding the man guilty in October 2020 on two charges under the Civil Aviation Act 1990 over his drone being used in a manner causing unnecessary endangerment, and for failing to keep clear of a manned aircraft,” CAA says in a statement.
“In his judgement, Judge Wharepouri found the drone operator had been overly reliant on the view from his drone’s camera and failed to maintain visual line of sight of the drone when he hit a paraglider about 100 metres above the ground.”
According to CAA the drone pilot was convicted and fined $1000 on two charges, which are:
Operating a drone in a manner that caused unnecessary endangerment pursuant to s44 of the Civil Aviation Act 1990;
While operating the drone, failed to give way and keep clear of a manned aircraft as required by Civil Aviation Rule 101.213(a).
“This conviction shows there can be real consequences when drone users fail to follow the rules and put the lives of others at risk through their lack of understanding or carelessness,” CAA’s Deputy Chief Executive Aviation Safety, Dean Winter, says.
“Although the pilot of the paraglider pilot was able to safely walk away after the collision, the accident was deceptively dangerous, and it was only down to sheer luck and the skill of the paraglider that there wasn’t a death that day.”
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