Georgine Benvenuto was left with cuts to her nose and chin after a mistletoe drone crashed into her face during a launch event at TGI Friday's

It was supposed to provide the perfect festive romantic moment: a mistletoe drone that would get diners at TGI Friday's to kiss on camera.

But the restaurant's plan to lure in festive diners went horribly wrong after one of the machines smashed into a photographer's face at a launch event in New York.

Georgine Benvenuto was left in shock after the machine flew into her face, slicing off the tip of her nose and cutting open a section of her lip.

The ten-inch drone became so entangled in Miss Benvenuto's hair that she even feared she would lose an eye.

The incident took place as Miss Benvenuto and other journalists gathered at the Sheepshead Bay restaurant to witness the four-bladed drones embark on their maiden flight.

Miss Benvenuto told Business Insider: 'If that would've hit me in my eye, I wouldn't be working tomorrow.

'If this thing continued to spin, it would've taken my eye out without a doubt.'

The drama unfolded after the photojournalist arrived at the restaurant to take a photo of a couple kissing beneath the remote-controlled helicopter.

Miss Benvenuto admitted she had been uncomfortable with the set-up from the start - particularly when she realised the shoot would take place inside the establishment.

She told the Daily Intelligencer that she felt 'uneasy' that the drone could interfere with or hurt the kissing couple while it was hovering over them.

But Miss Benvenuto got to work, managing to successfully take photos of the couple kissing beneath the larger of the two drones.

After that, pilot David Quiones decided to show reporter Vanessa Ogle from the Brooklyn Daily - another journalist invited to the launch - how the drone could land on her hand.

But something went wrong when the reporter 'flinched' - causing the drone to 'fly into' Miss Benvenuto's face.

She said: 'It kind of landed, but it did something to her hand - I don't know whether it was buzzing or what - but she flinched.

'And when she flinched - I was standing maybe a foot away from her - and this smaller toy drone for children flies into my face at that point.'

A wire from the craft became entangled in Miss Benvenuto's hair as she sat with other reporters to see the drones take their first flight

A photographer has been injured by one of TGI Friday's mistletoe drones after it lost control and hit her in the face, leaving her with cuts on her nose and lip (file image)

The photographer told how the fishing wire, which was used to connect the mistletoe to the drone, became trapped in her hair.

It then began 'twirling and twirling and twirling' on her nose as Miss Benvenuto attempted to 'shoo it away', eventually cutting her on the chin.

Miss Benvenuto was soon able to remove the drone from her hair and grabbed tissues to stem the bleeding.

But she claims Mr Quiones did not help her in her moment of turmoil - and did not even remove his hands from the controls.

She claims he had even told Miss Benvenuto that the drone could not cut her, prompting her to put her finger to her nose and say: 'It just did'.

After the crash, Mr Quiones blamed the accident on the reporter 'flinching' when he tried to negotiate the craft's landing.

He also said that diners would not be put off by the accident, because everyone is well aware of the risks.

According to the Brooklyn Daily, he said: 'If people get hurt, they're going to come regardless. People get hurt in airplanes, they still fly. There is a risk involved - anything flying, there is risk.'

After the accident the drone pilot blamed a fellow diner for the accident, saying she flinched when he tried to land it on her hand, which sent it careening into the woman's face

TGI Friday's was using two drones to romance diners when the accident took place - one small craft with four blades and a larger one with six uncovered propellers. The accident involved the smaller of the two.

A spokesman for the restaurant chain said that events in Long Island and Texas had passed without any bloodshed and tried to reassure diners that the risk of injury is low.

TGI Fridays launched the drone gimmick after research revealed that 47 per cent of Americans have never enjoyed a kiss under the mistletoe.

The study also found that just 27 percent of people were planning to lock lips with someone under the festive plant this year - something the restaurant hopes to change.

Pilot David Quiones said he didn't think the crash would put diners off coming to the restaurant, adding: 'People get hurt in airplanes, they still fly. There is a risk involved - anything flying, there is risk'

The drone, which can fly at speeds of up to 35mph usually hovers around 8ft above couples, before swooping in for the kiss.

'Everyone loves a good Christmas party, but we all know things can be a bit awkward until someone breaks the ice,' said TGI Fridays marketing manager Rachel Waller of the drone's uses.

'We wanted to see how we could make Christmas get-together in our restaurants even more entertaining.

'We offered guests the encouragement they need to make their move.

'Our mistletoe drones are the perfect way to do this. Not only are they great fun for the entire restaurant, but they help people get a little closer at this romantic time of the year.

'Maybe we'll have had our first mistletoe drone wedding by this time next year.'