Drone spotted over Aspen X Games venue
Sergei Grits/AP | AP
Pitkin County sheriff’s deputies are investigating a report of a drone flying over the X Games facilities at Buttermilk Mountain on Tuesday night.
The report from ESPN officials came in about 8 p.m., said Deputy Alex Burchetta. The drone, which featured a blinking red light, was seen hovering over and flying around Buttermilk at an altitude of about 1,000 feet, he said.
Burchetta didn’t know the size of the drone or how long it was flying over the X Games facilities.
However, the incident is being taken seriously because Buttermilk is not only near the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport, it’s in the direct flight path of the runway, he said.
“We want people to know they can’t bring drones to the venue,” Burchetta said.
Drones cannot be operated within 5 miles of an airport, so ESPN is not allowed to operate them either, he said.
The person operating the drone was not located Tuesday night, prompting the Sheriff’s Office to call the Federal Aviation Administration for assistance in the investigation, Burchetta said.
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