Records obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests by The Washington Post show that drones are much less safe than the federal government claims. The military is reluctant to release many details, but it is clear from those they do relinquish that there are serious concerns. All but a few of the flights go smoothly and accident rates are declining, but military officials admit that drone flights will never be as safe as commercial air flights. (The Washington Post, June 20, 2014, by Craig Whitlock)
Accidents are not confined to battle zones. Records indicate that about 49 drones have crashed near domestic bases since 2001. (The Washington Post, June 22, by Craig Whitlock)
The increased use of military drone in the U.S. and the expected approval of greater use of drones for domestic commercial purposes are increasing the chances of crashes with passenger aircraft. There has already been a number of near misses between the aircraft and drones flying dangerously close to airports. Danger is increasing with numbers of illegal drones ignoring restrictions. (The Washington Post, June 23, 2014, by Craig Whitlock)
CNN and the Georgian Institute of Technology are joining forces to find ways of making drones safer. Their findings will inform the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in its decision expected this year on the guidelines for commercial drone use. Current FAA rules prohibit the use of drones for reporting. (Politico, June 23, 2014, by Katy Bachman)
Despite the prohibition, news outlets are using drones to cover the news including in late April the tornado damage in Arkansas. KATV, the ABC affiliate in Little Rock used a video by a photographer using a drone that flew 150 feet in the air. Proponents of drone use in news reporting say the drones offer a valuable perspective unobtainable through convention reporting. (NPR, May 5, 2014, by Elise Hu)