(TNS) — A Philadelphia YouTuber has racked up almost $200,000 in fines for violating Federal Aviation Administration regulations, according to a federal government lawsuit.
Michael DiCiurcio, who runs the YouTube channel PhillyDroneLife, operated drones in the city “unlawfully and unsafely … between at least December 2019 to the present,” according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
The suit says that DiCiurcio operated his drones at night, and close to the William Penn statue that stands atop the City Hall building. On one occasion, officials said, the drone almost struck a church steeple. DiCiurcio also flew the drones inside controlled airspace near the Philadelphia Airport, and over people and cars. He also lost control of a drone at one point, causing it to fly over the city unmanned, the press release said.
The FAA said it warned DiCiurcio in writing and provided him with counseling and education to stay within regulations, but the press release said he has nevertheless continued to operate his drones illegally “and in a careless or reckless manner that endangers others.”
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the federal government is seeking $182,004 in penalties and an injunction preventing DiCiurcio from “operating any civil aircraft not in full compliance” of FAA regulations.
“Failing to adhere to the safety requirements for flying drones endangers people and property,” U.S. Attorney Romero said in a statement. “All drone operators have a responsibility to ensure that they observe all applicable regulations and guidance. Our office is committed to ensuring total compliance with the FAA regulations and we will vigorously enforce violations wherever we find them.”
“We work hard to educate people about safely flying their drones, and we don’t hesitate to take strong enforcement action when pilots deliberately flout the rules,” Deputy FAA Administrator Katie Thomson also said in the release.
DiCiurcio’s YouTube account has about 11,400 subscribers and more than 1.2 million total views, the Inquirer said.
In a recent interview with 6ABC, DiCiurcio denied that he had flown his drones dangerously.
“They’re videos that are edited, and as everybody knows, anything can happen in an edited video. So some of it’s real, some of it’s not, some of it is just for entertainment purposes,” he said to the news outlet.
