Washington—Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), sponsor of the Consumer Drone Safety Act, today released an analysis of drone incidents in California that occurred from April 1, 2014, through August 20, 2015. The data were collected and released by the FAA in August.

The Consumer Drone Safety Act, introduced in June, would require manufacturers to install safety features and anti-tampering protections in consumer drones as well as give the FAA authority to set clear rules on when, where and under what conditions they can be used.

Analysis of incidents reported in California:

• Of nearly 1,000 incidents reported nationwide, 1 in 5 incidents occurred in California, more than any other state.
• There were incidents in 60 California communities.
• 80 percent of incidents in California involved a drone that climbed to a dangerously high altitude, at least 400 feet above ground level.
• More than half of incidents in California involved a drone within five miles of an airport.
• One third of incidents in California involved a drone within approximately 500 feet of an aircraft.
• The largest number of incidents occurred near LAX (42).
• The frequency of incidents has steadily increased since April 2014, from one per month to an average of more than 20 per month in the spring and summer of 2015. There was a high of 39 incidents in July 2015.

“Reckless consumer drone use poses a heightened risk to public safety in California—one in five incidents reported to the FAA occurred in California. Drones have stopped aerial firefighting operations, come in close proximity to dozens of airports, including the second busiest airport in the country, and approached commercial planes carrying hundreds of passengers,” Senator Feinstein. “Congress will consider a long-term reauthorization of the FAA’s programs over the next several months. That bill must include the basic safeguards in the Consumer Drone Safety Act to protect the public and prevent a tragedy.”

Several of the most notable incidents reported in California are described below:

• Los Angeles: On February 8, 2015, Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 on its final approach to LAX spotted a quadcopter flying at 4,000 feet.
• Van Nuys: On March 27, 2015, a Piper Aircraft reported a “near collision” with a two-foot quadcopter orbiting at 8,500 feet.
• Hayward: On April 22, 2015, a Cessna 402 flying in Hayward, Calif., observed a drone three to four feet off its wing at 8,000 feet. The drone proceed to follow the plane.
• Fresno: On May 3, 2015, a California Highway Patrol helicopter in Fresno observed a five by five foot drone hovering in the arrival path of a hospital helipad at 500 feet.
• Big Bear: On June 24, 2015, a Cal Fire air tanker fighting the Lake Fire in Big Bear spotted a drone flying at 11,000 feet in an area under a federal temporary flight restriction. Firefighting operations were temporarily suspended as a result.
• San Bernardino: On June 25, 2015, a drone flying at 3,200 feet delayed all aerial firefighting operations in San Bernardino County.

The FAA’s data were based on the initial reports received by the agency. The full set of incident reports and analysis is available here. The number of incidents by location follows:

Highest number of incidents:

• Los Angeles: 42
• San Jose: 18
• San Diego: 14

Southern California Communities:

• Big Bear: 1
• Burbank: 9
• Carlsbad: 5
• Chino: 1
• Compton: 1
• El Cajon: 1
• El Monte: 2
• Escondido: 1
• Fallbrook: 1
• Fullerton: 1
• John Wayne Airport: 1
• La Verne: 2
• Lake Forest: 1
• Laverne: 1
• Long Beach: 4
• Los Alamitos: 1
• Ontario: 2
• Palm Springs: 1
• Pomona: 1
• Riverside: 4
• San Bernardino: 2
• San Luis Obispo: 1
• Santa Ana: 8
• Santa Monica: 6
• Silver Lake: 1
• Torrance: 3
• Upland: 2
• Van Nuys: 8
• Venice Beach: 1
• Victorville: 1
• Wilson Gardens: 1

Northern California Communities:

• Byron: 1
• Concord: 2
• Hayward: 2
• Healdsburg: 1
• Livermore: 1
• Modesto: 1
• Napa: 1
• Oakland: 1
• Palo Alto: 5
• Quincy: 1
• Ramona: 1
• Redding: 2
• Sacramento: 5
• San Carlos: 2
• San Francisco: 4
• Santa Clara: 1
• Santa Rosa: 3
• Sausalito: 1
• Sonoma: 1
• South Lake Tahoe: 1
• Watsonville : 1

Central Valley Communities:

• Bakersfield: 2
• Fresno: 3
• Lancaster: 1
• Merced: 1
• Stockton: 1
• Visalia: 1

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