Yellowstone Drone Pilot Faces Minor Charges
Published at | Updated at
JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) – A German man who crashed a drone into Yellowstone National Park in July is facing misdemeanor charges.
The Jackson Hole News&Guide reported Wednesday that Andreas Meissner of Koenigswinter, Germany, was charged with four misdemeanors, including violating a park ban on drones.
Prosecutors filed the charges in Cheyenne federal magistrate court on Aug. 27.
Park rangers say Meissner was flying a drone and filming when the drone lost power and crashed near the Great Village Marina on Yellowstone Lake in July. He was filming a documentary about a charity cycling tour.
The National Park Service banned drones in all national parks in June. Rangers in Yellowstone and nearby Teton National Park have issued a handful of citations for illegal drone flying this summer.