Both Aircraft Were Over A Residential Neighborhood At About 500 Feet

A U.S. Army UH60 Black Hawk helicopter was hit by a drone flying at an altitude of about 500 feet on Friday over a residential neighborhood on Staten Island, according to numerous media reports.

The incident occurred over Midland Beach at about 8:15 p.m. according to a report in the New York Post. The aircraft is attached to the 82nd Airborne in Fort Bragg. It and other aircraft were in New York for the United Nations General Assembly meeting last week.

Army Lieutenant Colonel Joe Buccino, the spokesman for the 82nd Airborne, said that the aircraft was not targeted. “It struck on the left side of fuselage. There were no adverse impacts to the flight,” he said. “One blade was damaged [and] dented in two spots and requires replacement and there is a dented window.”

Buccino added: “Our paratroopers from the 82nd are the best trained and they were able to act very quickly and very appropriately.”

The aircraft landed safely at Linden Airport in New Jersey, where parts of the drone were discovered lodged in the Black Hawk.

Aside from federal regulations limiting drones to 400 feet in altitude, it is illegal to fly UAVs in New York City except in parks, according to the report. The incident is under investigation, but authorities have not identified the operator of the drone.

(Image from file)

FMI: Original Report