Flying at 1,100 feet, well above the FAA limit of 400′ for drone flights, the pilots of ABC affiliate KABC heard, and felt, the impact of an unknown object hitting the news chopper as it was flying over downtown L.A. on Wednesday night.
Unsure what the object was that hit the helicopter, or the extent of the damage, the pilots decided to land immediately as a precaution.
#BREAKING: A DRONE struck the AIR7HD Chopper while they were flying over Downtown LA — requiring a precautionary landing.
Luckily, everyone on board is OK. Hear from our @abc7chriscristi at 11pm on @ABC7. pic.twitter.com/MHbxVMr2Tx
— Veronica Miracle (@ABC7Veronica) December 5, 2019
Once safely on the ground, a quick inspection revealed not just the impact damage on the helicopter’s Stabilizer Bar located just ahead of the Tail Rotor, but also the ‘fingerprint’ of a drone propeller blade on one of the tail rotor blades.
“We were flying just east of downtown LA and we heard this pop, a loud bang. We felt it, we heard it. We all looked at each other. Didn’t really know what it was. Just assumed it was a bird because that happens every once in a while. Once we got on the ground, thought, it was a different story.”
A direct hit to the tail rotor of a helicopter, which counters the torque of the main rotor to keep the chopper from spinning out of control, would likely be catastophic for both those in the helicopter and anyone impacted on the ground.
To say these helicopter pilots were lucky is an understatement.
From the impact marks on the helicopter, it appears to be a drone equipped with lower landing gear such as a DJI Phantom 4 or a DJI Inspire.
While the FAA and LAPD are investigating, both remind drone operators to adhere to FAA regulations regarding drone flights, including altitude limits, visual spotters and knowledge of airspace.
KABC News full report on the potential drone strike is below.
