Seattle police are investigating after a drone crashed into a giant Ferris wheel on Seattle's waterfront Wednesday. The drone struck the 175-foot-tall Seattle Great Wheel about 4:45 p.m. then crashed through a plastic patio table as it tumbled to the ground, Seattle police detective Mark Jamieson said, according to Reuters.
Authorities confiscated the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and are searching for the owner.
"At this point, we don't know who was operating it," Jamieson told The Seattle Times. "No one came forward while we were investigating. Security didn't have any information when we were there."
No injuries were reported, but it is of little solace to those troubled about why someone would choose to fly the UAV so close to other people to begin with.
"I can't figure out why somebody would fly a drone so close to other human beings," Great Wheel employee Michael Fuqua told NBC Western Washington affiliate KING5. "I don't get it. I just don't understand it."
"Just thank goodness no one was on the deck and no one was hurt," Great Wheel security manager Wayman Earls III said. "It looked like they (the drone's operator) may have been trying to fly the drone through the spokes (of the Ferris wheel) and careened off of there. From that height, anything it landed on was going to have some damage."
The patio where the aircraft landed was closed, and the ride was inspected for damage. No major damage was reported so the ride was re-opened a short time later, according to NBC News.
Commericial UAV usage has been skyrocketing in the U.S. recently, prompting the U.S. Department of Transportation and the FAA to announce a registration scheme which would allow them to track down people who fly the aircraft above FAA designated-altitudes or within restricted airspace.
