News and safety reports about drone incidents. These are news coverage, not crash footage, so they live here instead of in the crash stories. Videos are YouTube embeds with credit to the channel that made them; text items link to the original story. Newest first.
Federal prosecutors in Louisiana charged a man, arrested in Michigan, with flying an unregistered DJI Air 3 around Barksdale Air Force Base on March 22–26, 2026. The charges are allegations; he has not been convicted.
Source: KSLA News 12 · Follow-up: DroneXL
On Oct 20, 2026, the crew of United flight 2386 reported a small, dark object hitting above the windshield at about 620 ft after takeoff from San Francisco. The object has not been identified and is not confirmed to be a drone. The flight continued to Washington, and no damage was reported.
More: Aviation Safety Network entry (rated by ASN as from unofficial sources) · AirNav Radar post
Video by ATC Files USA on YouTube
Weekly roundup covering the spray-drone industry's request to the FCC, Pentagon letters added to the DJI and Autel FCC records, the end of DJI service for an older model, and a Massachusetts push on drone delivery.
Video by Pilot Institute Drones on YouTube
NASA says Dragonfly, the rotorcraft drone it plans to send to Saturn's moon Titan, completed its first full simulated flight.
Source: NASA Science
The FAA released draft standards for designing landing sites used by aircraft that take off and land vertically, including drones and air taxis, and asked industry for feedback.
Source: Federal Aviation Administration
The FAA put a 3-mile temporary flight restriction over the north Toledo hazmat scene so fire and environmental crews could fly their own monitoring drones over the leaking tank. Personal drones inside it faced federal penalties.
Source: WTOL 11
A video explainer on the NTSB's findings about the December 2024 Lake Eola drone show, where drones collided on takeoff and fell into the crowd, seriously injuring a 7-year-old boy.
Video by KoreaDroneShows on YouTube
Birmingham moved to let police write $500 tickets for flying drones near large ticketed events under Alabama's new state law, ahead of the Oct 31 game at Legion Field.
Source: ABC 33/40 · Related: ABC 33/40, Oct 22, DroneXL, Oct 21
After a crash near Harcourt, Iowa left an empty vehicle, Webster County deputies used a thermal-camera drone and found the driver unhurt in a cornfield.
Source: DroneXL
A new temporary flight restriction bars unauthorized drones from the surface to 400 ft within one nautical mile of the southern border. In the FAA's words, it will “bar any unauthorized drone activity up to 400 feet above ground level.”
The FCC added Pentagon letters to the records behind its listing of DJI and Autel, while separately a rule took effect Oct 13 that can block new drones containing their components from approval.
Source: DroneDJ · Related: UASFeed, Oct 1
On Oct 10, 2026, the crew of American flight 1936 from O'Hare to Newark reported a drone passing an estimated 100–200 ft away while climbing through about 7,000 ft near Lake Michigan. The flight landed safely. The drone story is the first segment of this roundup.
Read: AirLive, Oct 14, 2026
Video by Aviation News on YouTube
The FAA put a temporary flight restriction in place over the Circleville Pumpkin Show, so drones couldn't be flown over the festival without authorization.
Source: Scioto Valley Guardian
Security staff reported two or three low-flying drones near Amritsar's airport on Oct 11, halting operations for about an hour and diverting three incoming flights.
Source: Hindustan Times
Federal prosecutors say a 24-year-old flew a drone across an active runway at Dallas Love Field in June 2025 and into DFW's restricted airspace the next night, without the required certificate. He faces up to eight years if convicted; the charges are allegations.
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Texas · Also: FOX 4
A new Ohio law took effect Oct 6, 2026: when officers would need a search warrant to search a home in person, they also need one to fly a drone into it or observe its interior with a drone, with exceptions set out in the law.
Source: Ohio Revised Code 4561.61 · House Bill 251
According to Drone Authority, citing the National Interagency Fire Center, drones intruded on wildfires 82 times in 2026 as of Oct 5, already more than any full year on NIFC's chart. Firefighting aircraft are grounded when a drone is spotted.
Source: Drone Authority · Related: DRONELIFE, Oct 2 · NIFC incursion data
The long-planned Part 108 rule for flying drones beyond the pilot's line of sight has been under White House review since July 10, with no final rule or start date yet.
Source: DroneRanker
The FAA awarded $12 million to 19 companies for drone research at its test sites, including projects on helping drones avoid other aircraft and making drones easier to see.
Source: Federal Aviation Administration
The FAA warned that flying near NFL games without authorization can bring fines of up to $100,000, after more than 700 drones were seized during the World Cup.
Source: DroneXL · FAA: Stadium restrictions
An Amazon MK30 delivery drone made a precautionary landing on the grass at a Waco, Texas workplace on Sept 21, 2026. No one was hurt, and Amazon didn't say what triggered it.
Source: DroneXL
News segment (0:17–1:45): a Boston Police Department drone from the city's new Drone as First Responder pilot crashed onto a parked car on Hatherly Road in Brighton on Sept 3, 2026, damaging the rear windshield and trunk. No one was hurt, and the cause wasn't disclosed.
Video by Pilot Institute Drones on YouTube
Official safety videos on flying near other aircraft and wildfires.
For FAA rules on testing, registration, Remote ID and commercial flying, see FAA Drone Rules & Resources.
FAA explainer for helicopter pilots: since 2017 there have been at least six confirmed and six probable drone collisions with aircraft, mostly helicopters and mostly below 500 ft.
Video by Federal Aviation Administration on YouTube
US Forest Service PSA: drones flown near wildfires can force firefighting aircraft to land and interfere with fire suppression.
Video: 'Drones are Dangerous Near Wildfires,' USDA Forest Service (video by Charity Parks), via the Forest Service YouTube channel.
Forest Service PSA (1:00): unmanned aircraft systems should not be flown near or around wildfires on National Forest System Lands.
Video: 'If You Fly, We Can't,' USDA Forest Service, via the Forest Service - National Interagency Fire Center YouTube channel.
Fallen Drones is an independent hobby site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Forest Service or USDA.