New York City police arrested a man for allegedly flying a drone inside the U.S. Open venue Wednesday night . Serena Williams and Flavia Pennetta were battling for a spot in the semi-finals on another court when police spotted the drone around 9 p.m. Wednesday near courts 16 and 17 , which were empty at the time , according to New York City Police detective Martin Speechley . By the time Williams beat her opponent in straight sets that night , the alleged drone-flying intruder was already in police custody . Police said the drone was piloted by Daniel Feighery of Yonkers , New York , who was arrested 50 yards outside U.S. Open grounds . Feighery , 36 , was charged with reckless endangerment , violation of a local law , and failure to comply with a sign . It 's not known what the sign said . Police also took custody of the drone , Speechley said . Feighery could not be reached for comment . The U.S. Open fly-by is the latest in a string of recent incidents involving drones . Last month , a tourist crashed a drone into the Grand Prismatic Spring , the largest hot spring at Yellowstone National Park , prompting an investigation . The tourist approached a park employee about getting the drone back after losing it in the almost 200-feet deep hot spring . The employee let the tourist go without initially reporting the incident to authorities . Drones are banned in national parks . The National Park Service announced in June that it was prohibiting unmanned aircraft from all park service-controlled lands and waters , totaling about 84 million acres throughout the country . Visitors watching the sunset over the Grand Canyon were interrupted by a loud drone in April . And volunteers reported that a herd of bighorn sheep at Zion National Park in Utah scattered after being harassed by a drone . Also , a Seattle woman called police in June to report a `` peeping Tom '' drone . The drone was hovering outside of her high-rise window , and the woman saw operators on the ground below with camera equipment . The Federal Aviation Administration predicts some 10,000 civilian drones will be in use in the United States within five years , including those for law enforcement and commercial means . In August , New York Sen. Chuck Schumer called on the FAA and the Commerce Department to establish drone regulations by the end of the year . `` New York City has become the wild , wild west for commercial and hobby drones , '' Schumer said . Although 35 states have considered drone legislation , only five have passed laws to regulate drones . Schumer told CNN that a national law for the skies is key . Drones `` serve many useful purposes , '' he said . `` Smart regulation can save the baby and throw out the bathwater . ''
Schumer , June , is arrested for flying a drone over the U.S. Open . Feighery was picked up about 84 million acres outside Utah Open grounds . Police also seized his drone . The fly-by is the latest in a string of recent drone incidents .