Reckless Drone: Man Pleads Guilty After Damaging LAPD Helicopter

HOLLYWOOD, CA — A 22-year-old man pleaded guilty Thursday to recklessly operating a drone that crashed into an LAPD helicopter on September 18.

Andrew Rene Hernandez pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft, the first use of the federal charge in the nation's history according to prosecutors. The crime carries a penalty of up to a year in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

On the morning of September 18, LAPD officers responding to a burglary call at a Hollywood pharmacy asked for air support. As the helicopter was on its way, the pilot saw Hernandez' drone in mid-air and tried to evade it, but struck the helicopter and had to do an emergency landing.

The drone damaged the helicopter's nose, antenna and bottom cowlings, according to court papers. Prosecutors said "if the drone had struck the helicopter's main rotor instead of the fuselage, it could have brought the helicopter down."

Officers identified Hernandez as the owner after looking at the camera's SD card. The FBI later served a search warrant at Hernandez' home, where he admitted to flying the drone after hearing police cars because he "wanted to see what was going on," according to court papers.

City News Service contributed to this report.