Another drone has collided with a helicopter and this time a non-flying, left-seat crewmember was injured. The DJI Mavic 2 Pro pierced the acrylic windshield of a Bell UH-57B, a military variant of the 206B Jet Ranger III, while the helicopter was on coastal patrol Saturday for the Chilean Navy near Santo Domingo, 68 miles west of Santiago.
The helicopter made an emergency landing and the injured crewmember was transported to a local and, later, a military hospital at Vina del Mar for treatment. His injuries were described as moderately serious. The drone was recovered and attempts to locate the owner are ongoing. It did not have a registration number.
This Chilean incident occurred following several other reported drone-helicopter/fixed-wing aircraft collisions in Canada, the U.S., UK, and Mexico dating back to 2016 involving police, electronic newsgathering, military, and commercial airline aircraft. A drone also hit a manned hot air balloon in Idaho in 2018.