Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Drone Crashes Through Manhattan Apartment Window
By
Jen Chung
Published Feb 27, 2017
Modified Mar 26, 2018
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Feb 27, 2017
Modified Mar 26, 2018
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A GoPro Karma drone crashed into a Kips Bay apartment building's window over the weekend, startling the 66-year-old woman inside. Now the NYPD is looking for its owner.
Police say that the drone struck the window of a 27th floor apartment at 20 Waterside Plaza around 3:15 p.m. on Saturday. The resident was using her computer at the time, and the drone shattered her window and landed "four feet away from her."
The woman was not injured. A neighbor's girlfriend said, "Poor lady. She’s lucky she wasn’t killed."
And a 28th floor resident, Heidrum Pretzel, who lives directly above the affected apartment, spoke to WCBS 2, “I just saw boop, something, then I heard somebody say ‘Oh my God.'"
Pretzel adds that she immediately looked down and saw nothing, but her neighbor to the right feared the worst.
“She thought somebody jumped out of the window and I said ‘nobody jumped out of the window,'” Pretzel said, insisting she knew it was a drone. She says she saw it flying just moments before.
The drone retails for about $1100. The Post reports, "If the owner registered the device with the FAA — which is legally required for recreational drones between .55 and 55 pounds — it can be traced back to the owner, sources said"—the Karma is 2.2 pounds—"Police also may be able to use a serial number located on the base and battery of the drone to track down who it belongs to, sources said."
Last year, a NJ man was arrested for crashing his drone into the Empire State Building. Drones are not permitted in New York City except in designated areas.
Tagged
bad drone
drone
manhattan
runaway drone
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Retired NYPD detective charged in George Washington Bridge killing out on $1M bail
Victor Romero, who retired from the police department in 2001
By
Michael Sol Warren
Published Oct 25, 2026 at 10:25 a.m. ET
Suicides decline in NYC, but inequities persist across groups
New data shows suicide taking an outsize toll among Latino New Yorkers, even as overall deaths fell.
By
Jill Webb
News
Suicides decline in NYC, but inequities persist across groups
New data shows suicide taking an outsize toll among Latino New Yorkers, even as overall deaths fell.
By
Jill Webb
Cuts to rural healthcare become key issue for upstate votes in race for NY governor
By
Samuel King
NY Archdiocese will soon settle $800M clergy sexual abuse claims
By
Arya Sundaram
Chinatown residents file lawsuit against after-hours construction on new 'mega jail'
By
Arya Sundaram
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .