Drone Present Fail in Seattle on July 4

FAA Investigating: Was a Jamming Assault Accountable?

In keeping with an article within the Seattle Occasions, what was alleged to be a spectacular Fourth of July drone gentle present at Angle Lake in SeaTac became a expensive catastrophe. Shortly after the present started, 55 of the 200 drones deployed began dropping into the lake, leading to a lack of roughly $143,000 in tools.  Whereas the incident was unlucky, it ought to be famous that even when an unpredictable occasion brought on the drone present to fail, there have been no accidents – the small drones fell harmlessly into the water.

The town of SeaTac had invested $40,000 within the drone present, which aimed to supply a novel expertise over conventional fireworks. The drones, valued at $2,600 every, have been a part of an intricate show coordinated by the Nice Lakes Drone Firm, a Michigan-based agency that conducts 150 to 200 drone gentle exhibits yearly throughout the nation.

Matthew Quinn, founder and CEO of the corporate, advised the Seattle Occasions: “There was nothing flawed with the drones, nothing flawed with the software program. So, it’s pointing to outdoors interference of some sort. We don’t know what it’s or what it could possibly be.” Quinn talked about doable causes resembling off-frequency cell towers or unauthorized use of drone jamming units, although these stay speculative. The corporate has by no means encountered an analogous concern in any of its earlier exhibits.

Jamming units are typically prohibited by federal regulation, permitted solely underneath sure exceptions for federal regulation enforcement. Regardless of these laws, NBC Information reported in March that a number of firms are advertising jammers on-line, elevating issues about their availability and potential misuse.

The sudden lack of GPS indicators affected choose drones, inflicting them to lose their orientation and making it safer for them to descend into the lake reasonably than threat erratic flight paths to return residence. The incident is presently underneath investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and different related companies.

This mishap marked the primary drone gentle present at Angle Lake, which had beforehand hosted fireworks. The town had shifted to drones as a consequence of authorized complexities stemming from a 1932 state Supreme Court docket ruling on navigable waters, resulting in the cancellation of hydroplane races and city-sponsored fireworks exhibits.

The investigation’s findings will seemingly affect how future occasions are deliberate and executed to stop comparable occurrences.  If it proves that this drone present fail was the results of sabotage, it’s no joke: the perpetrator may face severe penalties.

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