Posted November 28, 2014
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has sided
with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ruling that federal aircraft
regulations apply to Unmanned
Aerial Vehicles or "drones," according to a Farm Futures article
available here.
CNN Money also published an article available here and IEEE
Spectrum here.
The Board referenced an administrative law judge the case of
Raphael Pirker, a UAV operator who allegedly flew a UAV recklessly over the
University of Virginia campus in 2011.
The FAA
order was originally dismissed, and Pirker was required to pay a civil penalty
of $10,000 for the alleged violation. The judge stated that Pirker's UAV could
be compared to a model aircraft, which is not regulated by the FAA.
However, the
NTSB ruled Monday that the FAA rules should apply, according to CNN Money.
According
to FAA rules, “any aircraft that flies more than 400 feet above the ground must
be governed by its rules.” Model planes are restricted to flying below that 400
foot limit.
Additionally
the NTSB stated that “at this stage of the proceeding...we decline to
address issues beyond the threshold question that produced the decisional
order,” according to IEEE
Spectrum.
The NTSB
has concluded that the FAA must govern aircraft, unmanned aircraft, remote
controlled aircraft, and any and all combinations or permutations.
