Drone’s path over game leads to charges
Pennsylvania man accused of flying device during Ravens-Chiefs matchup
A Pennsylvania man faces up to four years in federal prison and $350,000 in fines for allegedly flying a drone over M&T Bank Stadium during the first quarter of the AFC championship game last month.
NFL security temporarily suspended the game and Maryland State Police tracked the movement of the drone from directly over the stadium to a landing spot about half a mile away, where FBI agents and state police located 44-year-old Matthew Hebert, of Chadds Ford, according to a news release.
“Temporary flight restrictions are always in place during large sporting events,” U.S. Attorney Erek Barron said in the release.
A temporary flight restriction issued by the Federal Aviation Administration outlawed any aircraft from operating within a 3-nautical-mile radius of the stadium, starting an hour before kickoff and lasting until an hour after the final whistle, according to the affidavit.
FBI agent David Rodski said in the affidavit that Hebert, who was wearing a Ravens jersey when officers located him in the 500 block of South Sharp Street in the Otterbein neighborhood adjacent to the Inner Harbor, said he did not have any training for operating drones. The drone was also not registered, and Hebert did not have a remote pilot certification from the FAA to operate it, according to the affidavit.
The Ravens lost the Jan. 28 game, 17-10.
Hebert told officers that in the past, the application he uses to operate the drone would not allow him to fly the device when flight restrictions are in place, and he was surprised when the application allowed him to operate the drone during the game, according to the affidavit. Hebert allegedly flew the drone approximately 100 meters or higher for around two minutes, taking six photos and possibly a video. He has not been arrested, according to the affidavit. Hebert was operating a DJI Mini 2 model, advertised as an ultralight and foldable drone quadcopter, on sale for nearly $400 by Amazon, according to the affidavit.
The U.S. attorney filed the charges Monday. There was no lawyer listed for Hebert in federal court records
If convicted, Hebert faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison for knowingly operating an unregistered drone and for knowingly serving as an airman without an airman’s certificate, and a maximum of one year in prison for willfully violating U.S. National Defense Airspace, according to the release, which notes that sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.
An initial appearance and arraignment will be scheduled later this month.
“Operating a drone requires users to act responsibly and educate themselves on when and how to use them safely,” FBI agent R. Joseph Rothrock of the Baltimore field office said in the release. “The reckless operation of a [unmanned aircraft system] in the vicinity of a large crowd can be dangerous to the public, as well as interfere with other law enforcement and security operations.”
Drone sightings and resulting stoppages in play were common at M&T Bank Stadium this season. A Thursday night game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Nov. 16 was twice paused when five drones violated temporary flight restrictions. During the AFC title game, there were four unauthorized drones, including the one that resulted in the pause. (Games are paused when drones fly above the seating bowl, potentially endangering fans).
In total, this past Ravens season saw 12 drone violations.
“Education is a big factor in the incidents we’ve dealt with in the last couple of years at our complex where the operators of the drones are unfamiliar with the regulations related to operating drones,” Vernon Conaway, the stadium authority’s vice president for public safety and security, told The Baltimore Sun on Tuesday.
After a drone was observed flying around at a Ravens game in 2020, the stadium authority added drone detection software in 2021.
The FAA implements a temporary flight restriction for any stadium or sporting event with a seating capacity of 30,000 or more during any MLB, NFL or NCAA Division I game, as well as NASCAR, IndyCar Series or ChampCar Series main races.