The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a $289,215 civil penalty against Gorge Drones of Stevenson, Washington, over alleged unmanned aircraft system violations tied to agricultural spraying flights. The agency said the company carried out 15 fertilizer-dispensing flights in March and April 2025 without the required agricultural aircraft operator certificate, while the drone was also allegedly unregistered and lacked an airworthiness certificate.
The enforcement action places the Oregon border town company under scrutiny for commercial drone use in farming operations, an area where operators must meet both certification and aircraft compliance requirements before dispensing material from the air. The FAA’s case focuses on regulatory non-compliance rather than an accident or crash, and the conduct is described as unauthorized agricultural drone activity.
The proposed penalty remains an allegation at this stage, with no final adjudication disclosed in the available material. The FAA’s action also highlights the agency’s continuing oversight of commercial unmanned aircraft operations, particularly where drones are used for agricultural spraying and other activities that fall under stricter operational rules.