Man Arrested for Flying Drone over Wildfire, Delaying Firefighters

Megalith

Megalith

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A drone flying over a massive wildfire in northern Arizona temporarily grounded all firefighting aircraft Wednesday night. The operator was caught yesterday after police used witness information, drone descriptions, and photos obtained from the suspect’s website showing drone views of the Goodwin Fire, which implicated him in the incidents. One pilot suggests that he was even deliberately circling the firefighting planes with his drone.

The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office reported Saturday that Gene Alan Carpenter of Prescott Valley was arrested on charges of endangerment and unlawful operation of an unmanned aircraft. Carpenter is accused of endangering 14 aircraft and air crews as well as ground fire crews with a "substantial risk of imminent death or physical injury" by flying a drone in the Goodwin Fire's airspace. Arizona last year passed a law making it illegal for a drone to interfere with emergency or law-enforcement efforts. There are also federal laws regulating drone flights.
 
Boy does this ticks me off a little... While im not a wildland firefighter, I could very well have friends that are still in the service fighting one of those fires.... (I've had training in 2014 to be one but by the time my rotation came around to be called to a fire, fires were dying down and i wasn't needed. I did not pursue it further after that year.)

Delaying these planes could of had serious impact if something unplanned was happening to the fire and they needed to send these planes out to handle the situation as quickly as possible.

At least nothing bad happen this time....


Just a side note: Anyone curious on what fires are currently happening in the US and how much they're contained, you can visit this site and see what's going on: https://www.nifc.gov/

(latest doc from site: https://www.nifc.gov/nicc/sitreprt.pdf )


Angry said:
This is why we can't have nice things.

They could have shot it down though...or something.
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Im sure some of them would of like to if any of the wildland firefighters had something to do that with.

Although flares, hands tools, drip torch, and maybe a chain saw wouldn't of cut that (probably forgetting a few other tools) ... Maybe some tanker truck crews could of shot with water but water is limited in these situations and they kind of need that for the fire...
 
The next wildfire they should take this guy and drop him into it to so he can get some really great pictures. I'd be willing to bet one way or another he won't be getting in the way with a drone again.
 
warmon6 said:
Im sure some of them would of like to if any of the wildland firefighters had something to do that with.

Although flares, hands tools, drip torch, and maybe a chain saw wouldn't of cut that (probably forgetting a few other tools) ... Maybe some tanker truck crews could of shot with water but water is limited in these situations and they kind of need that for the fire...
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Duely noted sir.
Makes sense, don't need a drone ending up in the engine of a plane or heli.
Im not saying the guy doesn't need arrested or punished, he does in this case, but worst case they could have elimited the drone some way if they had the ability...
 
if he wanted good shots best thing to have done is actually ask them if they want assistance with the drone so they can see where the fire is spreading to (they can land it then when the water plane comes or just keep it still and see if the water hit the right spot) i seen it a number of times where they have accepted help, but if you just pop up a drone when i fire is going expect to be arrested if they find you
 
just a FYI the areas around fires are off limits to ALL aircraft but ones in support of the fire fighting efforts
 
Circling firefighting aircraft with a fucking dji drone.... ya... uhmmm hmmm..

Sometimes I wonder at the feats of magic that anti-drone coverage credit to these idiots doing stupid shit with their toys.
 
I'm an anarcho-capitalist libertarian individualist maximum freedom kind of guy, but damn if these drone assholes aren't making my bring-the-government-ban-hammer-down-on-them finger itch.
 
I'm all for just shooting down the drone. You might not catch the owner right away (or ever) but at least you have the satisfaction of knowing the guy lost his $$$$ toy.
 
Jeesh, asshats like this drone operator are not helping matters and they give all the proper (read: legally abiding) operators a bad rep. :mad: Not to mention all the safety issues it presented. The last sentence of the article hinted at Federal charges possibly getting dropped on him. Hope he enjoyed it.
 
Not saying that this is the case here, but I know that most people with drones don't understand the rules. Most I know would of done the same thing with the drones they bought and not known that it would of created any issues at all. Just wanted to get a better look, or footage for YouTube. Thinking it's no different than when the news helicopters get their footage.
 
As a drone pilot myself I'm happy to see that this idiot is being arrested for his stupidity.

Shooting down the drone isn't the answer because it doesn't hold the pilot accountable for his actions. Someone does something stupid with a car, you don't destroy the car you charge the driver. You need to do the same thing with Drone pilots.

Ignorance of the laws is not a valid defense.
 
Honestly if you are a drone operator and don't know the rules i have zero sympathy. So many people now days have no darn personal responsibility. As Temo said above, Ignorance is not a valid defense.
 
carlbme said:
Not saying that this is the case here, but I know that most people with drones don't understand the rules. Most I know would of done the same thing with the drones they bought and not known that it would of created any issues at all. Just wanted to get a better look, or footage for YouTube. Thinking it's no different than when the news helicopters get their footage.
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Cmon you know ignorance is no defense. I've never flown a drone and the closest I've ever been to one is just seeing them in display kiosks at electronics stores, yet even I seem to know FAA regulation about drone use somehow. If I've learned this from just being a normal regular every guy then so should the person who bought the damn thing in the first place.

Angry said:
They could have shot it down though...or something.
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I dont think the 14 aircraft pilots flying up there would have felt comfortable with someone shooting a rifle / buckshot in their general direction while orbiting a smoke filled hazy sky.
 
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why would the aircraft delayed, drones are smaller, who cares, keep dumping water, if the drones gets wreck, well that is the person fault. Who is the chielf of fire department, just keep doing your job, nothing should stand in your way, my goodness.
 
zomby said:
why would the aircraft delayed, drones are smaller, who cares, keep dumping water, if the drones gets wreck, well that is the person fault. Who is the chielf of fire department, just keep doing your job, nothing should stand in your way, my goodness.
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Try putting one through the tail rotor of a helicopter, or through a plane engine and let us know how that works out. If you even read the original post the person was flying circles around the aircraft. They had to stop due to safety, even if it was only a small chance of an incident, that is still too much of a risk. Look at what some birds did in NY a few years back to a jet.
 
zomby said:
why would the aircraft delayed, drones are smaller, who cares, keep dumping water, if the drones gets wreck, well that is the person fault. Who is the chielf of fire department, just keep doing your job, nothing should stand in your way, my goodness.
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"I'm sorry mam, your husband isn't coming home, because while it was statistically small that a person operating a drone in our airspace during the fire fighting might cause loss of vehicle/life, we thought it more important that some special fuck ass snowflake get is video to rationalize the cost of his drone due of his small penis."
 
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