Attack of the drone at Seattle Space Needle
Jul 24, 2014, 3:26 PM | Updated: Jul 25, 2014, 6:04 am
A tourist may have gotten a little too close to the Space Needle Tuesday night – with his drone.
Several guests called security around 8:30 p.m. to report seeing a small, white drone buzz the top of the Needle and possibly crash into the observation deck window. Police say people reported seeing the unmanned aerial vehicle outfitted with a camera head off to a Best Western hotel two blocks east and land in a fifth floor room.
There were no signs of damage to the Space Needle, but officers contacted the drone pilot to talk with him about “Seattle’s recent drone-related controversies,” according to police.
The man, an Amazon.com employee visiting from out of state, said his recently purchased drone did not hit the Space Needle and showed officers his flight video. Tourists could be seen waving at the camera and officers determined nothing indicated contact with the Needle.
He agreed not to fly his drone in public while in town.
A video of the drone’s flight was posted to YouTube and later removed, but not before Vines from the video were created.