After Drone Crashes Into Space Needle, Operator Faces Jail

SEATTLE, WA - A 20-year-old man from Eastern Washington could go to jail for allegedly crashing a drone into the Space Needle last year. The crash happened on Dec. 31 as workers were setting up a New Year's Eve fireworks display on the roof of the building.

Cole Kelley, of Pasco, is facing a charge of reckless endangerment, a gross misdemeanor. Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes said the drone's blades came "dangerously near wiring from one of the [pyrotechnics] boxes" on the roof of the Space Needle.

According to a police report, Kelley was flying the drone around 3 p.m. when he lost sight of it. Seattle police were called and later located the downed aircraft on the west side of the Space Needle's roof. The drone was identified as a DJI Inspire 1 model. That type of drone can weigh close to 7 pounds when outfitted with a camera, according to the manufacturer.

The fireworks technicians watched the drone hover near the roof of the Space Needle for several minutes before it crashed. A Seattle police detective wrote in a report the drone was allegedly flying above the maximum 400 feet allowed by Federal Aviation Administration - the Space Needle is just over 600 feet high.

Seattle police also alleged the drone strike could have seriously injured or killed one of the technicians working on the roof.

Cole will appear at Seattle Municipal Court on Nov. 22 to face the reckless endangerment charge. That charge carries a sentence of up to 364 days in jail and up to a $5,000 fine.

Watch Now: Man Could Face Jail Time For Crashing Drone Into Space Needle

Image via Elaine Thompson/Associated Press