Detectives in West Hollywood are searching for the operator of a drone who flew an unmanned aircraft into electrical lines on Sunset Boulevard on Monday, causing a power outage.

Federal lawmakers are considering a registration system for hobbyist drone operators. Authorities in West Hollywood are searching for the operator of a drone that crashed into an electrical line Monday and caused a power outage. (photo courtesy of L.A. Drones)

The crash occurred at approximately 1:20 p.m. near Sunset Boulevard and Larrabee Street. A Southern California Edison crew that responded to reports of a power outage found pieces of the drone and notified authorities.

Lt. David Smith, with the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station, said the pieces appeared to be from a propeller. Neither the drone nor the operator was located. Authorities are compiling a report that will be forwarded to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Aero Bureau and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and it is unclear what charges the operator may face.

Southern California Edison spokesman Robert Villegas said the impact knocked an electrical line to the ground, causing power outages that affected approximately 700 customers. Crews restored power to 183 customers by 3:30 p.m., and to the remaining customers by 5:45 p.m. No injuries were reported. Villegas said he had not previously heard of any instances of drones colliding with electrical lines and causing power outages. Smith added that the incident was a new situation for authorities at the sheriff’s station.

“We don’t have a lot of issues in West Hollywood [with drones],” Smith said. “It’s not something that’s running rampant, but in my opinion, they are dangerous, and not only for power lines. We were very fortunate with this.”

The incident came a week after the FAA announced that it is creating a task force to determine how to better regulate drones that are flown by hobbyists.

The FAA announcement followed the Los Angeles City Council’s approval of citywide regulations for drones requiring they be flown at least five miles away from airports, that operators do not fly them farther than they can be seen, and that operators do not fly them at night. Drones are also restricted from being flown at elevations higher than 400 feet, and operators are prohibited from interfering with any manned aircraft. Violations could result in fines and misdemeanor charges.

The FAA indicated preliminarily that it intends to create a system that would require hobbyist drone operators to register with the FAA when an unmanned aircraft is purchased. Commercial drone operators

are already required to register with the FAA.

The task force will include federal authorities, as well as representatives of the unmanned aviation industry. The task force was asked to return by Nov. 20 with recommendations for the FAA on implementing the new registration system for hobbyists. Federal authorities said hobbyists can pose a significant potential danger to aircraft.

“Registering unmanned aircraft will help build a culture of accountability and responsibility, especially with new users who have no experience operating in the U.S. aviation system,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said. “It will help protect public safety in the air and on the ground.”

The FAA receives reports of potentially unsafe drone incidents on a daily basis, and pilot sightings of drones doubled between 2014 and 2015. Unmanned aircraft have interfered with law enforcement and civilian aircraft, and have forced firefighting aircraft to divert from operations over brush fires in San Bernardino County and other areas of California. In August, a drone operator allegedly flew an unmanned aircraft that interfered with a police helicopter circling over a crime scene in Hollywood.

Some commercial drone operators who work with film production companies in Hollywood said rules preventing drones from interfering with manned aircraft are necessary.

“If you’re flying recklessly, and I would consider flying near a police aircraft reckless, the pilot should absolutely, 110 percent be held accountable. It should, in fact, be an arrestable offense,” said Mike Fortin, owner of CineDrones, which has offices in West Hollywood and downtown Los Angeles and is registered with the FAA. “If firefighting operations are going on and you are somewhere in their flight path, I absolutely believe that should be a violation.”

However, Fortin questioned how easily the FAA and law enforcement will be able to identify and prosecute hobbyists who break the rules because it can be difficult to determine who is flying a drone.

“The problem is if you’re in a jet, or even a regular airplane flying at 105 miles per hour, and you see a drone the size of a shoebox, it’s going to be like reading a serial number off a dollar bill,” Fortin said. “I do believe there should be registration numbers for commercial operators, but in terms of hobbyists, it’s a little less clear.”

Blake Asbury, co-founder of L.A. Drones, which is based in Venice, added that registration will be beneficial, but further steps need to be taken.

“I think it boils down to education,” Asbury said. “Like anything else, there is a learning curve. There are people out there who are doing it maliciously and hurting the entire industry. A lot of people are unaware they are causing a problem. It’s time to start focusing on education on how to fly these things. Otherwise, it’s like putting a band-aid on a bullet hole.”

Congressman Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) has called for more FAA regulations regarding drones. He supports a registration system for hobbyist drone operators, but also called for better technology in drones to protect public safety.

“I am glad to see that the FAA is taking action to address the growing risks posed by those using drones irresponsibly. But registration alone will not resolve the underlying issue of drones entering restricted airspace, such as airports or the areas above wildfires,” Schiff said. “Given the increased prevalence of commercial drones, we must continue to educate the public on using drones responsibly while evaluating all technological measures to detect drones in restricted airspace, prevent them from causing damage and locate the individuals piloting them.”