DJI Mavic, Air and Mini Drones
Friendly, Helpful & Knowledgeable Community
Join Us Now

A Life Flight helicopter was unable to reach the crash because a civilian drone was flying over the scene

Status
Not open for further replies.
Sucks they had to cancel the life-flight because they couldn't take care of the unauthorized drone in the area. Not sure why they haven't figure out how to combat this yet and get things done safely. Wish there was more info on the story; either way it sounds like a serious situation and condolences to the families.
 
Sucks they had to cancel the life-flight because they couldn't take care of the unauthorized drone in the area. Not sure why they haven't figure out how to combat this yet and get things done safely. Wish there was more info on the story; either way it sounds like a serious situation and condolences to the families.
Who is the "they" who should have been able to sort out the problem? The helo pilot? The air ambulance company? Dispatcher? State police? FAA? By "take care of the unauthorized drone" do you mean disabling or destroying it?

Here's another instance where one boneheaded drone owner gives the public another reason to dislike drones and regulators another reason to crack down further, not to mention endangering lives and delaying medical services for the injured.
 
A tragic story. It amazes me how some people have such dense thinking. Other than pure selfishness, what would motivate someone not to yield to life-saving measures?
 
Like if you could see a <900g drone while flying a copter or it couldn't chop through any <900g like nothing. That if it doesn't get moved away/crashed by the downwash.

That's as silly as saying an ambulance couldn't reach a crash because there was an RC car on the road, but anything is valid these days, probably, as most anti drone sensationalistic news, there wasn't even a drone there.
 
I call BS, there is no way a small piece of plastic (drone) could pose any real threat to a copter... Someone is throwing this way out of wack for whatever reason ? Years ago they flew a Yuneec H into the prop of a single engine plane, shure in wasnt air borne, but guess what happened Nothing to the prop and the drone was destroyed.... Just too many Karens out there, and here has well
 
Years ago they flew a Yuneec H into the prop of a single engine plane...
Not to divert from the tragedy and our obligations to fly by the rules, but I have often wondered what real risk we represent in a collision. Could we even get under the prop wash? What about flying down on top? How often do bird strikes result in crashes?

Was the drone the reason? Was there even a drone? Or is this more anti-drone sensationalism? 🤷‍♂️
 
I would speak with an Airframe and Powerplant mechanic about what the effects of a Drone hitting a helicopter at operating speeds could be My guess is that you will be surprised. Below is a Bird Strike with a Helicopter:
1725282324534.jpeg
NOW Wrap that bird in a layer of reasonably hard plastic like a drone has, and Imagine the Damage now!! STAY AWAY from Other aircraft. Those things have PEOPLE inside!
 
Drones now carry ADS-B, when used they're visible to closeby aircraft, the copter would know the drone was close enough to be trouble but wouldn't know the size. Both the drone operator and the chopper pilot should have gotten a verbal warning..maybe one didn't pay attention.
Can't fix stupid
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Torque
Drones now carry ADS-B, when used they're visible to closeby aircraft, the copter would know the drone was close enough to be trouble but wouldn't know the size. Both the drone operator and the chopper pilot should have gotten a verbal warning..maybe one didn't pay attention.
Can't fix stupid

The drones we discuss here don't have ADS-B transmitters.
 
Drones now carry ADS-B, when used they're visible to closeby aircraft, the copter would know the drone was close enough to be trouble but wouldn't know the size. Both the drone operator and the chopper pilot should have gotten a verbal warning..maybe one didn't pay attention.
Can't fix stupid
And you don't know the experience of the drone pilot or his reactions in the situation. May have been a kid with his parents with a birthday drone that doesn't know flight rules. In either case, a Medivac cannot risk the aircraft and the life of those on board. And should it cause a crash while over the crash site, first responders, and general public watching, it could have caused additional injuries/death from the Helo crashing.
 
Last edited:
Drones now carry ADS-B, when used they're visible to closeby aircraft, the copter would know the drone was close enough to be trouble but wouldn't know the size. Both the drone operator and the chopper pilot should have gotten a verbal warning..maybe one didn't pay attention.
Can't fix stupid
Most drones only have ADS-B In, meaning they do not broadcast anything and nearby manned aircraft have no idea when there is a drone nearby (unless they see it).

None of the DJI line of drones have ADS-B Out.
 
Unfortunately there’s still a lot of people that fly way beyond VLOS. If this was the case drone operator probably didn’t know helicopter was on site.. This is the sort of behaviour that will end up with even tighter restrictions on where or how far you can fly.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Torque
I just found this bird strike story. Some stats at the end.
To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

If others have details of what happens when drones collide with other manned aircraft, I think we'd all benefit. Kind of like dropping the totaled car in the high school parking lot as an example of "this why you don't drink and drive" -- but drone edition.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Torque
Like if you could see a <900g drone while flying a copter or it couldn't chop through any <900g like nothing. That if it doesn't get moved away/crashed by the downwash.

That's as silly as saying an ambulance couldn't reach a crash because there was an RC car on the road, but anything is valid these days, probably, as most anti drone sensationalistic news, there wasn't even a drone there.

Let's stay within the bounds of reality, please.
  • Of course you can see a drone while flying a helicopter.
  • No, a helicopter rotor moving 400+ mph cannot chop through a drone (with a battery) like nothing. There will be damage to the rotor.
  • Even if the rotor wash would prevent a drone from climbing into a helicopter, it could still strike it from the side or from above.
  • Blaming this on the media is absurd.
  • Do you have any shred of evidence whatsoever that there was no drone and that the pilot, state police officers, and others just imagined that they saw a drone?
 
Last edited:
Like if you could see a <900g drone while flying a copter or it couldn't chop through any <900g like nothing. That if it doesn't get moved away/crashed by the downwash.

That's as silly as saying an ambulance couldn't reach a crash because there was an RC car on the road, but anything is valid these days, probably, as most anti drone sensationalistic news, there wasn't even a drone there.
An ambulance would roll over an RC car. A drone can damage a copter. It's like hitting a bird. It's an unnecessary risk for the pilot.

In this case, I doubt that the driver would been saved. He was flung from his SUV, which ended up landing on top of him. Had he or his passengers been wearing seat belts, they wouldn't been ejected from the SUV and his odds of survival would been much higher.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Torque
I know I'm a new drone pilot and haven't been Part 107 certified as long as some of you, but it saddens me to read how many of you think.
Like if you could see a <900g drone while flying a copter or it couldn't chop through any <900g like nothing. That if it doesn't get moved away/crashed by the downwash.
Drone pilots are to yield - to manned aircraft - period!
but I have often wondered what real risk we represent in a collision

That kind of thinking will cause you to drive your car into a wall to see if the airbags will save you.
I call BS, there is no way a small piece of plastic (drone) could pose any real threat to a copter... Someone is throwing this way out of wack for whatever reason ?
You can call it what you want. Put yourself in the pilot's seat of the helicopter, or better yet what if the person that died was your son, your father?

I cannot believe what I've read here. However, this kind of thinking must be the same kind as the drone operator that prevented what could have been a life saving rescue.
 
When I made my initial comments, I was going from the available information that was given that is not fully verified but it mentions the request for an air flight was cancelled due to a drone in the area. To me, this meant the emergency crew on site decided they needed to airlift the patient but when they spotted a drone (or got information there was a drone in the immediate area) they called off the helicopter because the situation was unsafe and they were unwilling to take the risk. Have no idea if they made contact with the drone pilot or if the drone was in the area or nearby the entire time or if the helicopter was enroute yet.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dustydoug
When I made my initial comments, I was going from the available information that was given that is not fully verified but it mentions the request for an air flight was cancelled due to a drone in the area. To me, this meant the emergency crew on site decided they needed to airlift the patient but when they spotted a drone (or got information there was a drone in the immediate area) they called off the helicopter because the situation was unsafe and they were unwilling to take the risk. Have no idea if they made contact with the drone pilot or if the drone was in the area or nearby the entire time or if the helicopter was enroute yet.
Here are the only two things in the article that mentioned the drone. Your supposition, conjecture, and imagining are far off base from what the article stated. There's nothing about the evac request being cancelled. There's nothing about who made the decision. It says the drone was "over the scene" not "in the area." There's nothing suggesting that the emergency crew evaluated the risk and told the helo pilot not to approach or land.

"Man dies in crash on I-5 in Linn Co.; Police say civilian drone prevented Life Flight response"
"A Life Flight helicopter was unable to reach the crash because a civilian drone was flying over the scene, OSP said. Brown was declared dead."
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

DJI Drone Deals

New Threads

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
135,799
Messages
1,610,063
Members
164,260
Latest member
Lonestardiver
Want to Remove this Ad? Simply login or create a free account