FAA Proposed $341,413 in Civil Penalties Against Drone Operators

WASHINGTON - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposed $341,413 in civil penalties against 27 people who violated federal drone regulations. The FAA issued the fines between October 2022 and June 2024.

Drone operators who conduct unsafe or unauthorized operations face fines up to $75,000 per violation, an increase included in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024. The FAA also can suspend or revoke drone operators' pilot certificates.

"Violating the drone regulations puts lives at risk in the air and on the ground," said FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker. "Flying a small drone means you are flying an aircraft, and unsafe behavior will cost you."

The FAA encourages people to report unsafe and unauthorized drone operations to their local Flight Standards District Office. The agency reviews all reports and investigates when appropriate. The FAA has resources here to help people fly safely.

The FAA does not identify individuals against whom it proposes civil penalties. Among the enforcement cases are:

• $32,700 against a person who interfered with a law enforcement operation while flying an improperly registered and unlit drone on Sept. 22, 2021, in Wesley Chapel, Florida. The drone operator flew so close to a Pasco County Sheriff's Office helicopter that the pilot had to stop the search for a burglary suspect to prevent a mid-air collision. The individual operated at night without a Remote Pilot Certificate, did not have anti-collision lighting and flew the drone higher than the 400-foot limit.
• $18,200 against a person who operated an unregistered drone during the weekend of the Miami Grand Prix, a Formula 1 event, on May 7, 2022 in Florida. The operator disregarded a temporary flight restriction (TFR) and several FAA regulations, including operating in Class D airspace without prior authorization, not maintaining visual line of sight with the aircraft at all times and operating without a Remote Pilot Certificate.
• $16,000 and $4,000 against two people who operated drones near SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, while a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) was in place for Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13, 2022. The airspace was classified as national defense airspace, the operators flew drones in Class B airspace without authorization, and neither possessed a Remote Pilot Certificate.
• $7,760 against a person who operated an unregistered drone using first person view inside Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Jan. 15, 2022. The operator flew over the crowd during an NFL game at night, did not have a Remote Pilot Certificate and flew beyond-visual-line-of-sight in a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) without an approved FAA airspace waiver.
• $5,000 against a person who created a collision hazard while flying a drone close to a helicopter in Little Rock, Arkansas on July 30, 2022. The drone crashed to the ground after experiencing rotor wash from the helicopter. The drone operator did not have a Remote Pilot Certificate.