Part 2: Drone Attacks & Incidents – 2022 in Review

My previous blog examined the current state of the rogue drone threat in the context of notable incidents perpetrated by criminals across various environments with malicious intent. Now let’s take a closer look at the drone threat relating to civilians flying drones in restricted areas either as a result of being unaware of or intentionally disregarding the restrictions.

Civilians Unaware of or Disregarding Restrictions & Regulations

While signs, advertisements, and mobile applications help drone pilots determine whether a particular location is restricted, some choose not to follow them. Here are a few examples of these infractions:

At Airports

Drone incidents at airports are trending. Reported incidents spanned four continents with a preponderance in North America and the UK. The open space surrounding runways apparently  entices rogue drone operators. In many countries (like the UK), drone operators are warned about flying near airports. In the USA, anyone flying a drone is responsible for flying within FAA guidelines and regulations. That means it is up to the drone pilot to know the “Rules of the Sky,” and where it is and where it is not safe to fly.

The summer was busy with rogue drone activities at airports. Some of the riskier and more notable incidents were:

In the UK –

• An EasyJet flight from London Gatwick to Rhodes, Greece, came within 10 feet of colliding with a drone at 16,000 feet over London.
• A Boeing-737 commercial plane flying in Newcastle, England, airspace had a near miss with a drone.

In the US –

• A drone sighting at Reagan Washington National Airport, located just a few miles from the Pentagon and White House, caused a 13-minute suspension of flights and a 45-minute delay in normal operations. Ninety flights were delayed and seven were canceled because of the incident.
• A drone came within eight feet of crashing into the windshield of a landing Delta flight at Orlando International Airport in Florida.
• In December, the crew of Spirit Airlines Flight 1304 spotted a drone flying 300 feet below them as the flight approached the runway at Baltimore/Washington International, Maryland, USA’s busiest airport.

Many more drone incidents were tracked at airports worldwide during 2022. Norway’s airport owner Avinor reported 50 drone incursions per month at Oslo airport alone, resulting in delays, costs, and traffic rerouting for passengers, airlines, and the airport.

At Stadiums, Arenas & Crowds

In my blog, Protecting the Playing Field (& The Players, Staff, And Fans) From Drone Threats, I focused on the drone incident situations and latest developments at stadiums and arenas in the US. In 2022, tracked/reported rogue drone incidents saw a 64% increase over 2021. These incidents posed a global safety threat, caused delays to games, or even caused events to be canceled.

The following are some of the notable incidents that happened in the second half of 2022:

In the US –

• In October, during the 7th inning of a Dodger-Padres playoff game, a drone dipped near the playing field in San Diego, California, causing umpires to halt the game for several minutes.
• In Seattle, Washington, in September, an unauthorized drone delayed the Seahawks-Falcons game at Lumen Field, and in a separate incident, a rogue drone delayed the Pac-12 Washington-Stanford Game.
• In the Bronx, New York, in July, the NYPD investigated a drone that hovered above Yankee Stadium’s right field for about 15 minutes during the Yankees’ 14-1 win over the Boston Red Sox.

In the UK –

• In July, West Midlands Police in Birmingham, England, UK, confiscated a drone that was being flown recklessly over crowds of people gathered for the Commonwealth Games

In Brazil –

• A September Botafogo vs. Goiasdoes pro soccer match in Rio de Janeiro was interrupted by an unauthorized drone flying over the stadium.

In Australia –

• In November, Guns N’ Roses’ rocker Axl Rose lashed out at an Australian fan for distracting the band’s performance by flying a drone in front of the stage during a concert at Metricon Stadium.

First Responders

In the second half of the year, tracked drone incidents in such scenarios included instances of attacks, harassment and nuisance (including hampering first responder efforts), and invasion of privacy and collision or near collision.

• In August, the Wildfire Service in Keremeos Creek, BC, Canada, was forced to halt air operations fighting the province’s largest fire because of people flying drones in the area.
• In September, drone pilots were warned to stay away from wildfires after a close call between a drone and a firefighting helicopter at the Ross Fork Fire in Sawtooth National Forest, Idaho, USA.
• In September, a drone operator in the Bell Rapids area of Brigadoon, Australia, had to be located before a rescue helicopter could be sent in to save a boy who fell off a cliff.

Community & Neighborhood

As a last point, multiple incidents occurred in the second half of 2022 in which rogue drones posed threats “closer to home”, with collisions or near collisions or by invading privacy.

Notable events were reported at:

Educational Institutions –

• In December, in Asheville, North Carolina, USA, residents and staff at Eliada Children’s Home were forced indoors after drones harassed children and therapy horses. The drones recorded students’ sessions and taunted employees in an egregious breach of privacy.
• In the UK, due to a reported increase in drone incidents in educational settings, the Department of Education encouraged school administrators to call the police if they see a drone.

At Residences

• In September in Huntington Beach, California, USA, a concerned parent reported a peeping-drone hovering above her daughter’s balcony.

In Neighborhoods

• In September, thousands of people were left without power for up to 3 hours after a food delivery drone crashed into powerlines in Logan, Queensland, Australia.

Stay tuned for the next update, and keep current on drone attacks and incidents reported from public domain sources and information providers such as DroneSec, in D-Fend Solutions Drone Attack & Incident Tracker.