Philadelphia Resident Gets Wings Clipped By FAA For Illegal Drone Use
by Alex Lloyd Gross
Drones are getting more and more popular every day. Most people take the time to find out how to use them safely. There are regulations and restrictions. For example, you cannot fly over sports stadiums without permission, you have to adhere to “No Fly Zones” and other rules and regulations. Jaqueline Romero, US Attorney for this area said that Michael DiCiurcio of Philadelphia operated his drone in an unsafe manner, and flew his drone over people and too close to buildings.
Specifically, he flew near the William Penn Statue, he flew close to the PSFS sign and also was closer the Philadelphia International Airport than he was allowed to. Authorities said he did this multiple times. In fact, according to Romero’s office, DiCiurcio was issued a warning from the FAA. In that warning letter, they offered to teach him how to fly the drone and teach him about regulations. They said he ignored them and continued to fly where and when he wanted..
To stop this, they have filed a civil lawsuit against DiCiurcio and will seek seeks substantial civil penalties and an injunction to prevent additional illegal conduct. In one instance, authorities allege that he lost control of the drone and it flew over Philadelphia. Another time it almost hit a church steeple, Romero said. .
“Failing to adhere to the safety requirements for flying drones endangers people and property,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “All drone operators have a responsibility to ensure that they observe all applicable regulations and guidance. Our office is committed to ensuring total compliance with the FAA regulations and we will vigorously enforce violations wherever we find them.”
“We work hard to educate people about safely flying their drones, and we don’t hesitate to take strong enforcement action when pilots deliberately flout the rules,” said Deputy FAA Administrator Katie Thomson.