U.S. aviation safety board says FAA can enforce rules on drones
SEATTLE, Nov 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. aviation safety board said on Tuesday that the Federal Aviation Administration has the authority to apply to unmanned aircraft its long-standing rules against reckless or careless use of manned aircraft.
In making the ruling, the National Transportation Safety Board sent its first case involving an FAA fine against a drone back to an administrative law judge to determine if the drone flight in question was "careless or reckless."
The case involved use of an unmanned aircraft in 2011 to make a video for the University of Virginia. The FAA fined the remote pilot $10,000, prompting a lawsuit. An administrative law judge later found that the FAA did not have enforceable regulations against reckless use of unmanned aircraft, prompting the FAA to appeal to the NTSB.
(Reporting by Alwyn Scott Editing by W Simon)