Posted November 28, 2014
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has sided with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ruling that federal aircraft regulations apply to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles or “drones,” according to a Farm Futures article available here. CNN Money also published an article available here and IEEE Spectrum here.
The Board referenced an administrative law judge the case of Raphael Pirker, a UAV operator who allegedly flew a UAV recklessly over the University of Virginia campus in 2011.
The FAA order was originally dismissed, and Pirker was required to pay a civil penalty of $10,000 for the alleged violation. The judge stated that Pirker’s UAV could be compared to a model aircraft, which is not regulated by the FAA.
However, the NTSB ruled Monday that the FAA rules should apply, according to CNN Money.
According to FAA rules, “any aircraft that flies more than 400 feet above the ground must be governed by its rules.” Model planes are restricted to flying below that 400 foot limit.
Additionally the NTSB stated that “at this stage of the proceeding…we decline to address issues beyond the threshold question that produced the decisional order,” according to IEEE Spectrum.
The NTSB has concluded that the FAA must govern aircraft, unmanned aircraft, remote controlled aircraft, and any and all combinations or permutations.
Share: