Seattle Police Investigate Drone That Buzzed Space Needle

Sightseers at Seattle's Space Needle witnessed a small quadrocopter buzz the landmark's observation deck Tuesday evening — and the craft's owner got a visit from the police. Visitors reported the drone floating outside the Needle, with some saying it had actually struck the window. It then floated down to a room on the fifth floor of a nearby hotel. The owner, as police found out when they knocked on his door, was an Amazon employee visiting from out of town. He showed the officers he had not hit the Needle by showing them footage from an on-craft camera. The Space Needle was undamaged.

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Amazon did indeed recently petition the FAA to let it fly drones in its home city of Seattle — but this probably isn't what it had in mind. Other incidents in Seattle have led residents to be suspicious of drones, and while commercial use of them is federally prohibited, there is no law against hobbyists flying them. That said, flying over populated areas may mean a built-in parachute is a good idea.

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Amazon Asks FAA for Permission to Test Drone Delivery on Home Turf

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

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