Businessman Says He Was Nearly Struck By The Aircraft While Walking Down The Street

The person flying a radio-controlled quadcopter high above the streets of Manhattan Monday apparently lost control of the aircraft, allowing it to impact several buildings before it eventually fell some 300 feet to the sidewalk.

A Wall Street analyst who was nearly struck by the falling aircraft picked it up, took the memory card out of the Phantom Quadcopter's video camera, watched it, and released it to television station WABC.

In the video posted by the station, the aircraft's owner can be seen setting up the aircraft to fly on his hi-rise balcony. He is pretty obviously inexperienced in flying the aircraft, which the station repeatedly refers to as a 'drone'. But he eventually gets it going and gets some images of some of New York's iconic buildings before the accident.

It also hits some of those buildings. One of those impacts is what sends the quadcopter tumbling to the sidewalk.

An FAA spokesperson said that the operation of unmanned aircraft over congested areas like Manhattan is prohibited. There are reportedly no local ordinances against such flights.

The NYPD says the incident is "under investigation" to determine if the aircraft's owner will be charged with reckless endangerment.

(Quadcopter pictured in file photo. Not brand or type involved)

FMI: www.nyc.gov/nypd