Drone operator faulted in NY collision with Army copter

WASHINGTON – A recreational drone operator was at fault in the first confirmed midair collision in the U.S. between a drone and a manned aircraft, the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday The operator was unaware the Federal Aviation Administration had temporarily banned drone flights in New York when his small drone collided with an Army Blackhawk helicopter on Sept. 21, the board said in a report on the incident. The U.N. General Assembly was meeting in New York at the time. The helicopter suffered minor damage while the DJI Phantom 4 drone was destroyed, the report said. The operator flew the drone 2.5 miles away despite a long-standing FAA prohibition on drone flights beyond the sight of an operator, the report said. The operator saw the helicopter on the tablet he was using to direct the drone and tried to move the drone out of the way, but it was too late to avoid the collision, the report said.