Air traffic control audio released in drone encounter

NEW YORK (WABC) -- What to do with all the drones? That question is very much on the minds of cops, especially here in New York City.

There have been several close calls with drones this year, including one this week, involving a close encounter with a NYPD helicopter near the George Washington Bridge. The operators were arrested.

"He's got red and green lights. He's trucking, he's moving fast," an NYPD pilot said.

When the NYPD helicopter first encountered the fast-moving lights in the night sky, the police pilot seemed unsure what it was.

"He has to be military, he's moving, he's right over top of us right now, LaGuardia, he did a 180 really quick. Going down the East River at this time. I just want to make sure it's not a drone," the NYPD pilot said.

It was a drone, a four pound, less than two-foot long drone launched from the intersection in Inwood by Remy Castro and his friend.

"How high was it flying?" Eyewitness News Investigative Reporter Jim Hoffer asked.

"Probably as high as six-story building," said Remy Castro, the drone's owner.

A video taken by a spectator seems to back that up. But in communications with LaGuardia tower, the police pilot sounds concerned about the speed and proximity of the drone to their helicopter.

"About how high would you say it went?" the tower asked.

"I'd say zero to 2,000 in less than two seconds," the NYPD pilot said.

"Really, because I don't see anything on the radar," tower said.

"That's because he's a fast mover," the NYPD pilot said.

Although they insist their drone never got close to the NYPD helicopter, Castro and a friend were charged with felony reckless endangerment.

The Police Commissioner says unsafe operation of drones is a growing problem.

"Significant concerns about abuse with this device that we've experienced a-half dozen times will be treated very seriously by this administration and police department," NYPD Commissioner William Bratton said.

But people who watched the latest incident claim police never had a problem with their nightly drone flights before.

"So police come by and watch?" Hoffer asked.

"Yeah they come by all the time, there's not one time we fly they don't come by to stop and watch and hang out," said Jonathan Castro, the drone owner's brother.

"We just had an aircraft do vertical climbs pretty fast," the NYPD pilot said.

This time, the drone startled the NYPD Aviation Unit, never a smart thing to do even if unintentional.

"It was never nobody's intention to do anything bad. Not fly towards them or anything like that," Remy Castro said.

Whether this drone was operated in a reckless manner will be determined by the court. What seems clear is that the drone was flying in what's designated as class B airspace which is against FAA regulations. The use of drones in the city without FAA approval could get you in trouble with the law.