Tourist flew drone over Marina Bay for 25 minutes on 1st day of vacation, fined S$12,000

A tourist in Singapore ran into trouble when he illegally flew a drone to take aerial shots of Marina Bay.

Chinese national, Zhong Zhen Sheng, 68, pleaded guilty to three offences under the Air Navigation Act, with two other charges taken into consideration for his sentencing.

He was fined S$12,000 on Jul. 25, 2024, reported The Straits Times.

Here on holiday

On Jun. 25, 2024, Zhong arrived in Singapore with his wife at around 1pm.

He proceeded to Marina Barrage to fly his “DJI Mavic Air 2” unmanned aircraft to take aerial photographs of Marina Bay.

Zhong had previously registered the drone in China but had not registered it or obtained any permit to operate it in Singapore.

Took 38 photos

Before 5:29 pm, Zhong took a total of 38 photos on two separate flights with his drone, each lasting about 12 to 13 minutes and reaching a maximum altitude of 148m above sea level.

The Marina Barrage and Drainage Pump House, as well as the surrounding area, are located within a protected zone under the Air Navigation Act.

To operate a drone in the area for recreational purposes above 60 meters above sea level, Zhong needed to obtain a Class 2 activity permit from the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, but he failed to do so.

At around 5:29 pm, CAAS detected the unauthorised drone activity and alerted the police.

S$12,000 fine

The prosecutor sought a fine of at least S$15,000 to S$18,000, while Zhong’s defence lawyer asked for a S$9,000 fine, reported ST.

Zhong had failed to do his "reasonable due diligence", the prosecutor said, adding that a simple online search would have informed him that Marina Bay was not somewhere he could fly a drone over.

Zhong's lawyer stated that Zhong did not notice any signage in the Marina Barrage area prohibiting drone flights, leading him to believe it was safe to operate the drone there.

Additionally, the drone was equipped with a built-in feature designed to detect whether an area is safe for flying — however, it had not been updated with the latest official data.

“Given all the accumulation of circumstances, it was really an unwitting event that any hapless individual could have fallen into,” said the lawyer.

Zhong had intended to stay in Singapore for only two days but was "stranded" here because of the court case, the lawyer added.

CAAS efforts to educate public on drones

In April 2024, CAAS announced that it had ramped up efforts to educate the public about illegal drone operations.

This initiative includes installing “no-flying” signs in open fields and parks near Changi Airport.

In 2023, the aviation authority addressed 309 cases of unlawful drone use.

Among these, eight individuals and seven companies were prosecuted in court, resulting in fines ranging from S$4,000 to S$45,000.

The remaining 294 drone operators received composition fines, stern warnings, or advisories.

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Top photo from Canva