FAA and FBI investigating apparent illegal drone flight over Bengals game

Cameron Knight, Cincinnati Enquirer
·2 min read

A drone was flown into Paul Brown Stadium over the heads of fans and players during Saturday's Bengals against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Federal Aviation Administration and FBI are now investigating this apparent rogue flight.

The video was posted to the BrickByBrickProduction513 YouTube channel Sunday and as of Wednesday, it had already amassed more than 37,000 views. It's the most viewed video on the channel.

"The FAA's local safety office is aware of the video and is investigating," the FAA said in a statement Friday. The FBI also confirmed Friday they were partnering with federal and local agencies on the case.

A drone illegally flies into Paul Brown Stadium in the second half of the AFC wild card game on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, in Cincinnati.
A drone illegally flies into Paul Brown Stadium in the second half of the AFC wild card game on Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, in Cincinnati.

Federal regulations govern drone flights and it is against those regulations to fly over crowds without an exemption. Commenters on the video also pointed to a number of other infractions the pilot may have made.

Many commentators chastised the creator of the video saying flights like this will lead to even more regulations on drones for recreational pilots. Others demanded that the filmer learn the rules before someone got hurt.

The BrickByBrickProduction513 account replied to one such comment: "Yes I don't know the rules for sure I learn as I go."

Technologies exist to attempt to keep drones out of crowded areas. It is unclear if any of those technologies are in place at Paul Brown Stadium. An email to the Bengals had not received a reply at the time of this report.

The video was still viewable on YouTube Wednesday, but the BrickByBrickProduction513 account had no additional information about the business or creator in the channel's "about" section Wednesday. An Instagram account using a similar name and logo was set to private.

About 30 other videos have been uploaded to the channel since 2017. Many are music videos that appear to have been shot in Cincinnati.

According to the FAA, drone operators who fly recklessly can face fines and criminal penalties including jail time, but officials have also historically tried to focus on educating drone pilots to avoid future violations as well.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: FAA and FBI investigate apparent illegal drone flight over Bengals game