DJI Mavic 3 shot down in North Carolina, local authorities are investigating

According to local news, Dan Brand was flying his DJI Mavic 3 above his family’s property when it was shot down. Burke County sheriffs are currently investigating the illegal act of shooting down a UAV.

Brand, a Part 107 licensed drone pilot, was flying the drone roughly 120 feet above his family property per flight logs. He was attempting to get a photo of Burke County’s mountains during sunset, an itch all of us drone photographers have felt when we see something so beautiful.

According to Brand, several shots rang out, and then the Mavic 3 drone came crashing down. The camera and body of the drone were both hit by the buckshot directed toward it. In total, the damage is estimated to be about $3,000, per the sheriff’s office. So it’s safe to say this is the Mavic 3 Cine, which hurts our wallets a little bit more.

“So many things could have gone wrong, and in that respect, I’m very grateful that this only resulted in the destruction of the drone,” Brand said. “I felt very violated that someone would do that to my property.”

The proper response for individuals concerned about overflying drones will be to contact the FAA or local authorities but not to take action against the drone. Shooting down any aircraft, whether it’s a drone or a traditional aircraft, is illegal and very dangerous.

The perpetrator of this act is lucky that no one was injured, either from the falling drone or missed shots. The sheriff’s office hasn’t released any information about who shot down Brand’s Mavic 3.

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