Air Force threatens legal action as drone flies near evacuation helicopter
The Royal Thai Air Force is threatening legal action against the owner of a drone seen flying near a helicopter evacuating a rescued young footballer from the Tham Luang cave on Monday.
The drone was seen in a video clip flying near an MI-17 Royal Thai Army helicopter taking one of four rescued footballers to hospital.
TV station PPTV issued an apology on Monday afternoon for flying the drone.
Air Vice Marshal Pongsak Semchai, a spokesman for the Air Force and the deputy of its Civilian Affairs Department, said earlier on Monday that the and spokesman of the Air Force, said the Air Force would coordinate with the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand to take legal action against the drone owner.
Pongsak said the Air Force has checked with both the Wing 416 Command and the Third Air Logistic Support Command that is in charge of air traffic in the area, and learned that the owner had not received permission to fly the drone over the area.