Drone Pilot Found Guilty Of Unauthorised and Potentially Dangerous Flying
27 Jan 2026
The Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) has successfully prosecuted a drone operator and photographer for multiple offences in three different locations around Ireland.
The defendant, Helton Assunção pleaded guilty to multiple violations of drone regulations, including flying a drone within a prohibited area and without authorisation. In acknowledging the defendant’s efforts to learn from his mistakes, Judge Michael Ramsey found that the facts were proven and directed payment of €250 to a nominated charity within 3 months, and charges to be struck out.
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Mr. Assunção was known to the IAA and despite his experience as a drone pilot, he repeatedly operated his drone outside the safety limits of the regulations, including flying within prohibited airspace, at a height that posed a risk to manned aircraft and beyond visual line-of-sight.
The defendant agreed to make public his mistakes and has published his learnings from the prosecution on his social media channels:
The IAA’s investigator, David Hansell commented on the need to ensure that drone pilots are educated on the risk and public safety maintained through the correct use of drones:
“As Ireland’s civil aviation regulator, public safety is our highest priority. Operating a drone in in unauthorised airspace poses a public safety risk. Drone pilots must always ensure they are aware of airspace restrictions and comply with aviation safety regulations before flying.
That said, rather than solely focusing on sanctions, the IAA applied a balanced approach to prioritise learning, accountability, and the prevention of future occurrences. This approach is part of the IAA’s “Just Culture” ethos, which ensures that organisations and individuals can engage proactively with the IAA to address safety issues, while maintaining trust and collaboration across the aviation community.”
For more information on drones and the regulations, visit iaa.ie/drones