A Drone-Flinging Cannon Proves UAVs Can Mangle Planes

The man flying the drone didn't know he was violating a temporary restriction on flights around New York City (the president was in town for the 2017 United Nations General Assembly). He didn't know he had just two minutes to land before he violated the prohibition on nighttime flights. And he didn't know his DJI Phantom 4--300 feet up, 2.5 miles away from him, and well beyond his line of sight--was flying dangerously close to an Army Black Hawk helicopter. The drone smashed to pieces. The helicopter, luckily, only suffered a dented rotor and a few scratches, according to the National Transportation Safety Board report.