Green Day concertgoers recall drone disruptions; FAA investigates

DETROIT (WXYZ) — The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a drone incident that disrupted the Green Day concert on Wednesday evening Detroit.

Detroit police said someone flew an unauthorized drone over Comerica Park, prompting band members to evacuate the stage as a precaution.

Watch videos of the situation at Comerica Park below:

Video: Green Day concert in Detroit briefly interrupted as the band rushed off the stage

DPD said the drone pilot was arrested outside the stadium.

“I actually noticed it before anything went off the stage. I looked and thought, I don’t think a drone is allowed to be up here. And then two seconds later, they were chased off the stage.” Mikey Nichols, who attended the concert, said:

About 20 minutes into the performance, he filmed the mysterious drone that disrupted the concert.

Nina Maquet, another diehard Green Day fan, said she spotted the drone from the pit.

“Suddenly we’re all just standing there and we see one of the security guards coming out of the backstage area,” she remembered.

The band was led off the stage and the show was interrupted.

“The drone was actually in the air for about five minutes,” Nichols said: “It didn’t seem like it was zooming in to do anything. It looked like whoever was controlling the broadcast was probably trying to watch the show for free.”

Maquet said: “It was pretty scary because we didn’t know what was going to happen and, you know, in this day and age, with all these scary things happening, you don’t know what to expect. You don’t know what to think.”

The concert continued as usual after about 10 minutes.

On Thursday afternoon, the DPD told 7 News Detroit that it had turned the investigation over to the FAA.

Greg Reverdiau, co-founder of the Pilot Institute, said “This happens a lot in ball games, baseball and football games.”

Reverdiau, who is currently at a drone conference in Arizona, shared his expertise with 7 News Detroit. He said that while there is a legitimate way to fly a drone with the right equipment and proper permitting, there is usually a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) in place.

Essentially, it is a no-fly zone for unauthorized persons imposed by the FAA for safety reasons.

“For example, when the President is travelling, there is always a TFR, so it is not allowed to fly aircraft or drones in the airspace,” Reverdiau explained. “They’re at some concerts, but not all of them. At many big events like the NFL, NHL and MLB.”

7 News Detroit contacted the FAA, which described the incident as “potentially dangerous.”

“Although the agency does not have law enforcement authority, drone operators who endanger other aircraft or people on the ground face fines of more than $30,000. In addition, the FAA can suspend or revoke the pilot licenses of drone operators,” the FAA said in a statement.