MIT Technology Review Subscribe

New drone-meets-helicopter incidents may spur tighter airspace rules

Collisions and near-misses are renewing concerns about hobbyist drone pilots getting in the way of larger aircraft.

Two crashes: A helicopter crashed in South Carolina this week, allegedly because it had to maneuver to avoid a drone. (It may be the first drone-related crash in the US.) Elsewhere, the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a helicopter-drone collision that happened last week in Hawaii.

Advertisement

Why it matters: Bloomberg points out that simulations by the FAA suggest that drone collisions are more dangerous than bird strikes to larger aircraft (blame the metal parts). Meanwhile, the number of drones being flown is quickly increasing.

This story is only available to subscribers.

Don’t settle for half the story.
Get paywall-free access to technology news for the here and now.

Subscribe now Already a subscriber? Sign in
You’ve read all your free stories.

MIT Technology Review provides an intelligent and independent filter for the flood of information about technology.

Subscribe now Already a subscriber? Sign in

What next: Currently, US drone pilots are supposed to keep their small aircraft below 400 feet, in line of sight, and away from airplanes and helicopters. But another Bloomberg article explains that aviation authorities are lobbying for tighter rules to avoid further collisions.

This is your last free story.
Sign in Subscribe now

Your daily newsletter about what’s up in emerging technology from MIT Technology Review.

Please, enter a valid email.
Privacy Policy
Submitting...
There was an error submitting the request.
Thanks for signing up!

Our most popular stories

Advertisement