Drone’s crash-landing on Lexington’s tallest building prompts concern

Richard Moloney

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) – At-Large Urban County Councilman Richard Moloney said he was surprised to learn that a drone crash-landed on top of the Fifth Third building this weekend. However, Moloney said he was more concerned about the drone’s proximity to the Blue Grass Airport, about 6 miles away from downtown.

Moloney says he plans to form a committee to education people on drones — what is and what isn’t allowed.

“I think it’s an issue,” said Moloney, who has been a pushing education of drone use. “The number of drones have gone way up and being that close to the airport and being on the airport board I have concern.”

Downtown Lexington’s Fifth Third Bank building stands over 400 feet tall, the maximum height for unmanned drones.

The drone crash-landed on top of the building around mid-day Saturday.

Workers say the drone operator went inside the Fifth Third building and asked security if he could go up to the roof to get his drone. He wasn’t allowed to do so.

The building’s security immediately called the Federal Aviation Administration, the national aviation authority, and alerted them to what happened.

A spokeswoman with the FAA confirmed the report that an unmanned aircraft crashed on the roof of a building at 250 West Main Street. The FAA contacted the operator, and provided him with information about requirements for safely operating unmanned aircraft.

Chris Stiles is the President of Unmanned Services, Inc.- a drone flight services company.

“The FAA has so many regulations that affect manned aircrafts, the books are really thick. The aviation regulations, some of them still apply to us. We still have to know and fly according to that and then some things we’re exempt from- some things where there’s stricter mandates put on it. It’s figuring out and knowing all the things. It takes a lot of work. It takes a lot of knowledge,” Stiles said.

http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/Lexington-councilman-to-push-education-for-drones-323145761.html