I saw this post on X about an accident scene: x.com. Are there any state or federal rules that restrict flying drones in these situations, like the ones in place for wildfires?
The FAA usually places a temporary flight restriction (TFR) over accident scenes as soon as possible.
Kai said:
The FAA usually places a temporary flight restriction (TFR) over accident scenes as soon as possible.
I thought the FAA was short on staff?
Kai said:
The FAA usually places a temporary flight restriction (TFR) over accident scenes as soon as possible.
I checked the FAA’s TFR list here: Federal Aviation Administration - Graphic TFR's, and there are no restrictions for where it happened (near Roosevelt Mall, Philadelphia, PA 19149).
@Briar
The scene is in a zero grid, Class D airspace. I doubt they had instant authorization, and they were flying well above 100 ft, which could be an issue.
@Briar
I checked too. No TFR listed. Maybe it takes time to update?
Best practice is to stay far away from any emergency responders. Police, medevac helicopters, and news crews shouldn’t have to worry about drones getting in their way. Just don’t do it.
Gregory2 said:
Best practice is to stay far away from any emergency responders. Police, medevac helicopters, and news crews shouldn’t have to worry about drones getting in their way. Just don’t do it.
This is solid advice.
Gregory2 said:
Best practice is to stay far away from any emergency responders. Police, medevac helicopters, and news crews shouldn’t have to worry about drones getting in their way. Just don’t do it.
Commenting to push this up. Your footage isn’t worth slowing down rescue efforts. I get the temptation, but it’s not worth it.
I’m not in the US, but one thing to always check is whether helicopters are in the area before launching a drone. Major incidents often have low-flying aircraft for evacuations, police monitoring, or news coverage.
I was listening to the scanner during this, and police were trying to figure out who was flying a drone over the scene.
The location is within KPNE Class D airspace, likely in a 0 ft or 100 ft grid. It’s less than 3 miles from Northeast Philadelphia Airport. That flight was definitely illegal. The drone was flying several hundred feet up, right over the accident scene. Bad decision.
@Gregory2
People who fly drones recklessly ruin it for everyone else.
Laine said:
@Gregory2
People who fly drones recklessly ruin it for everyone else.
Exactly. Even if they got instant authorization, they shouldn’t have gone above the 100 ft grid limit.
Whether it’s a big or small drone, best to avoid flying over accident scenes. If someone needs to be airlifted, a drone could cause delays. TFRs usually get placed fast, but not always immediately.
Not something the average person should be doing.
Imagine if someone you care about needed an airlift, but rescue efforts were delayed because of a drone.