Pilots are Spotting More Drones, Prompting Worries About Collisions

What's the Punisnment for some idiot with a drone bringing down a plane, killing most on board?? Slap on the wrist? Fine? I know, here comes the sob story, 'but it was only an accident ...'

Authorities warn that operators who fly the devices too close to aircraft face possible criminal charges

This medical helicopter, shown in a photo provided by Sky

Life Air Ambulance, nearly collided with a drone above 

Fresno, Calif., this week, according to the crew onboard. 

Photo: Brett Schoenwald/SkyLife Air Ambulance

Pilots are spotting drones in flight at a far higher rate than last year, U.S. regulators said, triggering authorities to step up efforts to prevent a midair collision as drones proliferate in U.S. skies.

The Federal Aviation Administration said pilots spotted drones while flying more than 650 times this year through Aug. 9, up from 238 sightings in nearly all of 2014. In June and July this year alone, pilots spotted 275 drones, up from 52 in those months last year.

Collection of data began in February 2014 and has improved over time, making comparisons tricky, but federal and local authorities concerned by the rising number of sightings are warning that drone operators who fly their devices too close to an aircraft face possible criminal charges and jail time.

“I’m not going to kid myself and think that there aren’t people out there that might be interested in causing some trouble,” FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said in an interview. “Anyone who thinks that it’s cool to fly an unmanned aircraft near a large commercial airliner on approach to an airport needs to understand that…we will find them.”

The FAA is investigating or has already fined operators in more than 20 cases of drones flying too close to aircraft. The Justice Department is assisting on some of those investigations. Federal criminal penalties for endangering an aircraft range up to a $25,000 fine and jail time.

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