A Charlotte, North Carolina, man has pleaded guilty to a federal charge after flying a drone without authorization inside a runway exclusion zone at Charlotte Douglas International Airport earlier this year.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina, 50-year-old Marco Antonio Ochoa launched the drone in March from the airport’s public Airport Overlook. The observation park is located between two active runways. Ochoa pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft.
Flight From Airport Overlook
“Flying drones is a fun activity but can be dangerous if flown in prohibited areas,” U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson said in a DOJ release. “That’s why it’s important for operators to be familiar with any flight restrictions and permit requirements before launching drones. Flying in restricted areas can land you in hot water with federal authorities.”
The FBI and Federal Air Marshal Service investigated the flight.
Sentencing Pending
Ochoa faces a maximum sentence of one year in prison, a $100,000 fine and up to one year of supervised release. A sentencing date has not been set.
This guy was obviously clueless. That’s well within the innermost Class B ring and posed a real flight risk to landing and departing aircraft at a busy airport. Having even a small drone get ingested into a jet engine or come through an aircraft windshield at 120 kts wouldn’t end well. I’m guessing he was a recreational drone pilot and not a Part 107 Remote Pilot who would know better.
Book him, charge him, jail him.
I advocate public education but some irresponsible jurks will ignore what they’ve been told.