Thursday night’s Bengals-Ravens game was briefly delayed by a drone flying over M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, and now the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.
The FAA confirmed to BaltimoreBanner.com that it is looking into the matter. Finding the drone operator likely won’t be easy, but in cases where the FAA is able to identify illegal drone usage, the operators can face legal consequences.
Flying drones in the vicinity of a stadium is illegal from one hour before kickoff until one hour after the conclusion of all NFL games, the FAA says on its website. It’s also illegal to fly drones around Major League Baseball games, NCAA Division 1 football games, major auto racing events, and any outdoor stadium seating more than 30,000 people.
Last month a drone operator was arrested for flying his drone over the stadium during the Ohio State-Maryland game. Members of Congress have said they’re concerned about the potential of drones being flown into stadiums for the purposes of terrorist attacks. It’s a potentially serious issue, and one for which there are no easy solutions.