KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Incidents of drone pilots operating in restricted airspace without proper permission continue to cause issues all across the country, including in the Kansas City metro.
Paul Walter was flying his Piper PA-39 over the skies of Milwaukee last September when a strange object came far too close to his plane.
"My wife says, ‘Look at that!' And, boom we saw a large drone. It was off our wing about 50 feet," he explained.
The drone, which was flying around 5,000 feet high, was in protected airspace around Mitchell International Airport.
Walter called the airport to report the incident, which he said could have caused deadly consequences.
“We could have never missed it if it would have been in a collision course. By the time we saw it, we were upon it,” he explained. “If it went through the windshield, that could be serious, to say the least. It could kill the pilot.”
Walter’s close call represented one of 2,122 incidents of unregistered drones flying in protected airspace last year across the country, an average of almost six incidents per day.
Across Kansas and Missouri, more than two dozen incidents were reported to the Federal Aviation Administration.
While St. Louis saw many of the reports, incidents were also reported in parts of the metro.
Federal law created five-mile bubbles around airports where drones can only fly with permission from the tower.
At Rosecrans Memorial Airport in St. Joseph, airport manager Abe Forney takes calls from drone operators.
“Within five miles and below 400 feet, it’s OK. Anything above that is absolutely a no-fly zone,” he explained. “If one of these aircraft were in the area and there’s a drone that can get ingested into their engine, it could be catastrophic.”
Forney said no major incidents have occurred in St. Joseph, and drone operators communicate whenever they are flying in the area.
“They’re registering it. They’re calling the airport managers and they’re asking if they can fly,” he explained. “I think it’s important to embrace the new evolution of aviation, which is drones.”
Studies also continue to be done showing the danger of flying drones too close to planes.
In simulations posted to YouTube by aerospace engineer Javid Bayandor, an eight-pound drone is seen tearing a jet engine to shreds in less than a second.
“We need to be extremely cautious about this and leave nothing to chance,” he explained. “By the time you detect a drone on a radar or see it on an aircraft, it would be too late.”
Tracking down the drone operators behind the illegal activity can often be a tough task.
Of the 2,122 incidents of unregistered drones in protected airspace last year, just 19 cases resulted in a pilot being tracked down and fined.
"The FAA does not impose criminal penalties. That's a question for law enforcement," an FAA spokesperson said in a statement.
Moving forward, more regulations on drones could come.
Earlier this year, the Government Accountability Office determined the FAA needs to do more.
It released a study on drones with a clear warning in the title: "FAA should improve its management of safety risks."
As drone rules continue to take shape, Forney hoped to keep the skies over the metro safe for all pilots.
“We know that drones are new and that they’re here to stay,” he explained. “Drone regulations are going to continue to evolve so we can coexist with aircraft and drones.”
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