A recent helicopter crash in South Carolina may have been caused by a civilian drone. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident that resulted in a crash landing.

The case would be the first known aircraft accident to be caused by a drone, though the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has long expressed concern about the possibility of such interference from consumer devices.

The crash occurred on Wednesday afternoon when a helicopter being piloted by a student and instructor came into contact with a small drone. Both passengers in the aircraft reported spotting the drone, which they claim appeared directly in front of them.

The instructor took control of the helicopter in an attempt to avoid the drone. In attempting to prevent a collision, the helicopter’s tail came in contact with a tree and triggered a crash landing. Both the student and the instructor were unscathed by the incident, though the helicopter sustained significant damage.

The two passengers reporter the presence of a drone in the incident to the police. The FAA has yet to confirm the role of a drone in the crash, though the NTSB is aware of the report and reportedly gathering information about a drone’s involvement, according to Bloomberg .

A CBS affiliate in Charleston reported the student and instructor identified the drone as a DJI Phantom quadcopter. DJI, based in China, is one of the most popular consumer drone manufacturers in the world.

In a statement issued by DJI, the company said it is “trying to learn more about this incident and stands ready to assist investigators.” The company also said it is focused on “developing educational and technological solutions to help drone pilots steer clear of traditional aircraft.”

Earlier this month, DJI also issued a similar statement offering support to investigators looking into reports that a consumer drone collided with a sightseeing helicopter over the island of Kauai in Hawaii, though the company was not directly named in that case.

In November 2017, the FAA sponsored study that warned consumer drones could be a threat to larger aircrafts. The study found that while the weight of most drones pose little problem for planes and other large aircrafts, motors and other metal parts could cause significant damage to aircraft engines, windshields and wings.

The agency also reported that drone safety incidents, including reports of drones getting too close to other aircraft, now average about 250 per month —a more than 50 percent jump from just one year earlier.

According to the FAA, there were more than 2.3 million drones sold for recreational use to consumers in the U.S in 2017. The agency also tallied more than 838,000 drones that owners have registered.

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