The local police of Rivierenland (Mechelen) have identified the owner of a drone that recently crashed on the playground of the TSM Mechelen secondary school. The man, who lacked both a drone pilot licence and mandatory registration for his flights and aircraft, now faces fines that could amount to several thousand euros.
The incident occurred during the night of 18 to 19 November, when the drone struck a building before falling through a tree and landing on the school’s playground. The damaged device was handed over to the police, who immediately launched an investigation.
Officers were able to trace the pilot to a 47-year-old man from Mechelen. According to the police, he was neither certified as a drone operator nor registered as an official drone user, and his aircraft was not listed in any database. “The most serious violation is that the crashed flight had not been requested in advance from Skeyes,” the police said. This approval is mandatory in the controlled airspace over the region, located near Brussels Airport.
Further checks revealed that the man had previously conducted drone flights in the area without submitting any required requests. Police have drawn up an official report and formally seized the drone. The pilot is expected to face significant penalties from Belgium’s Directorate-General for Civil Aviation.