I frequently hear from Remote Pilots who report incidents where someone has shot at their drone and seek advice on how to respond. The first step is to stay calm and prioritize your safety. Here are some important steps to take:
The first thing to do is to remain calm and maintain your personal safety. Next, follow these suggestions.
The FAA classifies “Drones” as aircraft and with the drone industry exploding, more and more drones are filling up our skies. Attempts to shoot down a drone are happening every day in our industry. Here are a few pointers I tell pilots when this happens to them.
INFORM LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
While laws vary from state to state, you should immediately call your local law enforcement agency and file a report that someone has shot at your aircraft, even if your aircraft was not hit. Depending on where you are located, discharging a firearm at an aircraft could get you charged with any number of charges ranging from discharging a firearm to attempted murder. It is very important to contact your local law enforcement entity as soon as possible.
CONTACT THE FBI
Reach out to your local FBI regional office and file a report, you can find the contact information to your local FBI office at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices. Keep in mind that it is a federal crime to shoot at an aircraft, including shooting at your drone, no matter if it is a Firearm, Crossbow, or even a Pellet gun. The penalties can be severe, in some cases with penalties of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Even the threat of shooting down an aircraft can get you 5 years in federal prison.
REPORT IT TO THE FAA
You should report the incident to the FAA by calling the FAA Safety Hotline @ 1-800-255-1111 or file your report online at Hotline.faa.gov. This FAA portal is used by both aviators and concerned citizens to file reports regarding violations of federal aviation regulations or safety concerns involving our national airspace.
CONTACT YOUR FLIGHT STANDARDS OFFICE (FSO)
Your local FAA Flight Standards Office consists of aviation officials who are your local contacts within the FAA. While your local law enforcement and the FBI can handle the criminal side of this incident, your local FSO needs to understand the details of your aviation incident.
NASA AVIATION SAFETY REPORT
File a NASA Aviation Safety report. This report is used to collect data related to the national airspace to help in reducing aviation accidents and incidents. You can find the report form at asrs.arc.nasa.gov/report/electronic.html Your report is confidential and non-punitive and goes directly into the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS), making sure your data will be used to contribute to aviation safety.
NOTIFY YOUR INSURANCE CARRIER
Contacting your insurance carrier in the event you have physical damage to your aircraft will ensure repairs are made to your aircraft in accordance with your policy. The insurance company may decide to pursue legal action against the liable parties for your loss as well.
NOTIFY YOUR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA
Notifying your local news media will hopefully do two things, the first thing is getting your story out in the hopes of catching the suspected shooter if they had not been caught and secondly, your story will help educate the non-piloting public to think twice before discharging any firearms at any aircraft.
TELL OTHER PILOTS YOUR STORY
Share your story with other pilots in your area. Let them know about the details of your incident. Your incident can help other pilots in understanding the extra level of situational awareness they may need in and around that area.
Michael Hill is the Founder / CEO of Uncrewed Aerospace, an award-winning Drone Technology Company, that helps clients integrate Uncrewed Technology & Ai on the land, in the air, and at sea. Follow our work at www.uncrewedaerospace.com #TheDronePro