Drone pilot arrested for dropping leaflets over NFL games

A drone is seen in this file photo at Lake George, N.Y. A drone operator was arrested Sunday's 49ers-Seahawk game, after attempting to distribute flyers to fans via drone. The same man also attempted to distribute flyers at the Oakland Coliseum, before he was arrested. less A drone is seen in this file photo at Lake George, N.Y. A drone operator was arrested Sunday's 49ers-Seahawk game, after attempting to distribute flyers to fans via drone. The same man also attempted to ... more Photo: Lori Van Buren Buy photo Photo: Lori Van Buren Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Drone pilot arrested for dropping leaflets over NFL games 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

A drone enthusiast with a strong dislike of television news was arrested Sunday afternoon after using a drone to float anti-media leaflets over NFL crowds in both Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara and the Coliseum in Oakland.

The man, who was not immediately identified, sent his drone soaring over Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara during the second quarter of the game between the 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks, police said. Later he hightailed it to Oakland, where he deployed the drone over the Raiders game against the Denver Broncos, according to police.

“It was something about free speech and his belief that television stations are corrupt,” said Santa Clara Police Lt. Dan Moreno.

It is illegal to fly a drone within five miles of an airport without authorization. If flown for hobby purposes, a drone operator must notify the airport prior to flight and if it’s for commercial purposes the pilot must have an FAA license and get authorization. Both Levi’s Stadium and the Coliseum are within five miles of airports.

As a propaganda-distribution vehicle, the drone was ineffective, according to authorities. Most of the drone-dropped leaflets were carried away by the wind, landing far from the hands of the football fans they were intended for.

Sill, drones have the potential to disrupt both airplanes and lower-flying helicopters.

“If one of them were to crash, the blades are sharp — we certainly don’t want them hitting the crowd or the players,” Moreno said. “It’s kind of up to the abilities of the drone operators, and there is no way of knowing if they know what they are doing. A stadium is not a good place to fly a drone.”

Police opened an investigation, as did federal, state and local law enforcement, including the FBI, California Highway Patrol and neighboring county and city agencies.

J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen