Alligator Snatches Drone from the air and "smokes" (Graphic Content)

[ElRubio]

I really hope that the pilot goes to jail. Pretty sure the days of that croc are counted...

Jail? If they intentionally did this, maybe, but this is most likely an accident and while an animal was injured or possibly killed due to negligence. Jail time seems extreme punishment.

There are threads on this site about birds attacking drones. While most seem to focus on loss of the drone, the birds could be cut up pretty badly, possibly killed. Does this deserve Incarceration also?

 

[MARK (LI)]

Jail? If they intentionally did this, maybe, but this is most likely an accident and while an animal was injured or possibly killed due to negligence. Jail time seems extreme punishment.

There are threads on this site about birds attacking drones. While most seem to focus on loss of the drone, the birds could be cut up pretty badly, possibly killed. Does this deserve Incarceration also?

You are not comparing apples to apples....you are required to avoid wildlife if you fly a drone.....that drone operator was within a few feet..that is where he controlled the drone to be by his choice and actions.....not in compliance...also it is unclear where in the Everglades it took place...whether within the National Park or not...if in the Park that is another violation...and it plays out like this..let's say that wherever the incident took place DOES allow drones...just follow the rules and use common sense....this operator did not follow rules or common sense...so now...the authorities say to themselves...we gave drone operators an inch...they took a mile...can't trust them...so ban it altogether.....your response is going to be that they cannot do that because the FAA "owns" the air...which is true...but the local jurisdiction can create laws that prohibit launching, landing or operating from that area...if you don't think it can happen...check New York City drone laws.....so everyone suffers...when a bird gets hit or attacks a drone...the drone is randomly in the bird's territory and it is an unintentional accident...when you fly close to wildlife intentionally...which was done in the video.... it is no longer a benign activity...that drone did not belong there...and its operator should be held fully responsible...flying drones is a privilege that comes with responsibility...it is not a right

 

[rcourtney671]

The drone operator should have sprung for an Air 2S, it has an awesome zoom feature, so no need to fly close. Jus sayin.
Shot this low res video from our local flying field to/at the moon.

 

[ElRubio]

Good points, but My point is not that they were possibly violating rules, but whether it constituted jail time. My opinion is jail time is extreme.

 

[jaswalt]

My hope is that since the smoke seems to be coming from a little to the left of the gator that maybe the battery is not inside the gator but off to the side, but no matter how you slice it, this is totally irresponsible on the operator's part. I hope he gets exactly what's coming to him. What intelligent human thinks that obstacle avoidance is going to make a drone fly away if something approaches it? A cursory look into drones along with a little common sense would tell you that obstacle avoidance stops a drone's movement, it does not start it. This is the type of person that then wonders why the public has a growing negative view of drones.