AUSTIN (KXAN) — A helicopter involved in emergency operations in Kerr County — which was struck hardest by catastrophic flash flooding across Texas — was damaged after colliding with a private drone flying in the area.
The city of Kerrville and the city’s police department made posts on Facebook Monday evening about the collision, which happened earlier that day.
“This afternoon, a private drone illegally operating in restricted airspace collided with a helicopter involved in emergency operations in Kerr County,” the city’s post said. “The helicopter was forced to make an emergency landing, and a critical piece of response equipment is now out of service until further notice.”
The post said the collision was “entirely preventable” because of Temporary Flight Restrictions, or TFRs, in the area. However, the TFRs were not in effect until Tuesday.
Temporary Flight Restrictions are issued by the Federal Aviation Administration and restrict aircraft (including drones) from operating without permission in a certain area for a limited time, according to the FAA website. They are communicated through Notices to Airmen, or NOTAMs. Pilots must always check NOTAMs prior to their flights, per the FAA.
Reasons for issuing a TFR, according to the FAA, include:
- Natural disasters such as wildfires and hurricanes
- Certain major sporting events
- Emergency or national security situations
There are two current TFRs that cover a strip of Texas that was impacted by flooding, including Kerr County. They are NOTAM 5/3551 and NOTAM 5/3840.
Both are in effect from Tuesday, July 8, through Sunday, July 13.
The FAA keeps an up-to-date list and map of TFRs on its website.
There are six different TFR types: Space Operations, Air Shows/Sports, Security, Hazards, VIP, and Special. The two TFRs pictured above are two different types. The one that covers the wider area (5/3840) is a Security TFR, and the other (5/3551) is a Hazards TFR.