Video: Drone crashed helicopter in world first

Carolina - The student was practicing low-altitude hovering in a remote area.

In supposedly the first drone-related crash of an aircraft in the US, a helicopter crash landed in South Carolina while avoiding collision with a civilian drone.
On Wednesday last week, a student pilot and an instructor were practicing low-altitude hovering in a remote area in Charleston when a small drone appeared directly in front of them.
The instructor took over the control of the Robinson Helicopter Co. R22 and attempted to avoid a collision but the aircraft's tail hit a tree, triggering a crash landing, according to Charleston Police Department report quoted in Fortune.
The student and the pilot escaped uninjured after their helicopter manoeuvred away from the small white drone and fell on its side around 2.00pm.
However, the Federal Aviation Administration did not confirm the possible role of the drone in the accident but the student and his instructor flying the helicopter said that the civilian drone was responsible for crash landing.

The aviation groups have demanded stricter regulations on use of civilian drones as this is the second incident involving a drone in less than a week.
In the US, drones are typically restricted to flights within 400 feet of the ground and within sight of the operator. They also are supposed to stay clear of traditional aircraft. But in the thousands of FAA reports of possible drone safety incidents, many involved apparent illegal flights.

The four-rotor drone is said to be a model known as the Phantom, manufactured by SZ DJI Technology Co. of China and one of the most popular in the world. Police have yet not been able to locate the drone and its operator.