Drone operator admits to nearly crashing a California police helicopter, feds say
.jpg "California man Andrew Rene Hernandez pleaded guilty to crashing a drone into a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter during an emergency, authorities say.")
A California man admits he nearly crashed a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter during an emergency, authorities say.
Andrew Rene Hernandez, 22, pleaded guilty Thursday to a misdemeanor charge of unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft — a drone. It’s believed to be the first criminal case against unsafe use of a drone in the nation, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California.
Hernandez admitted in the plea agreement he was curious on a night in September when he heard police vehicles driving down the street and a helicopter flying above his Hollywood home. In search of an answer, he launched a drone toward the police activity, authorities say.
An L.A. police helicopter pilot responding to the emergency spotted the drone and unsuccessfully tried to avoid it. The drone hit the fuselage of the helicopter, forcing an emergency landing.
“If the drone had struck the helicopter’s main rotor instead of the fuselage, it could have brought the helicopter down,” authorities said in court documents.
Parts of the drone went crashing onto the pharmacy and damaged a car after the collision, authorities say.
Hernandez could go to prison for up to a year. His sentencing is set for April.
This story was originally published January 14, 2021 at 7:00 PM with the headline "Drone operator admits to nearly crashing a California police helicopter, feds say."