Officials with the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) sent a letter to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) offering AMA’s more than 80 years of experience in the investigation of any potential incident involving a manned and unmanned aircraft system (UAS).
In the letter, AMA President Rich Hanson writes: “The recent potential incidents involving manned aircraft and recreational drones raise important questions that must be answered so we can truly understand what happened. There’s a great deal of media sensationalism surrounding these incidents, but what we really need are facts. If warranted, we also greatly need tougher enforcement against careless and reckless recreational drone operators.”
“We want manned and unmanned aircraft to operate safely in the airspace together at all times,” he continued. “We also want to get to the bottom of these recent incidents involving manned aircraft and drones. AMA is ready to assist the NTSB in any way we can with its current or future investigations.”
In addition to offering assistance in these investigations, AMA urges the NTSB to recommend severe penalties — civil and criminal — for any drone operator endangering the safety of other aircraft and/or people on the ground. They say this should serve as a deterrent to others who flaunt existing drone laws.
The full letter can be read online here.