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What May Be U.S.’s First Drone-Linked Aircraft Crash Is Being Investigated

  • Student and instructor uninjured in South Carolina incident
  • Helicopter struck tree trying to evade small drone, pilot said
A Da-Jiang Innovations Science and Technology Co. (DJI) Phantom drone is flown during a property inspection following Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Texas, U.S., on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017. The mass destruction brought on by Hurricane Harvey has been a seminal moment for drone operators, proving that they can effectively map flooding, locate people in need of rescue and verify damage to speed insurance claims.
Photographer: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg
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A helicopter’s crash landing in South Carolina this week may have been triggered by a civilian drone, which would make it the first drone-related crash of an aircraft in the U.S.

The incident on Wednesday involved a student pilot and an instructor, both of whom told investigators that a small drone appeared directly in front of them, according to a Charleston Police Department report. The instructor took over the controls and attempted to avoid a collision, and the tail of the helicopter hit a tree or brush, triggering a crash landing.