The National Transportation Safety Board, for the first time, is investigating a collision that occurred between a civilian operated drone and an aircraft. The aircraft, an Army helicopter, collided with a DJI Phantom 4 drone on September 21 in New York. The helicopter was able to land safely, but its main rotor, window, and transmission deck were damaged. The drone was recovered from the helicopter. The crash occurred around 500 feet in the air, 100 feet higher than the 400 foot ceiling for drone hobbyists.

Both the NTSB and the Army are investigating the crash. DJI, the manufacturer of the drone in question, announced its intent to help with the investigation. Information is coming from air traffic control data, flight data of the helicopter, and flight logs of the drone operator. The Army concluded the collision was not a targeted attack and was only the result of use by a hobbyist.

Recently, the FAA has issued a ban on flying drones over 400 feet in the air near landmarks in cities and has banned drone flight over 133 U.S. military facilities. This crash comes at a time when a law requiring drone registration was recently struck down and where President Trump continues to promote drone usage, including allowing them for delivery purposes and to fly beyond the eyesight of an operator.