Passenger Aircraft Nearly Collided with Large Drone Over London
The UK Airprox Board (UKAB) has reported a dangerous near miss involving a passenger aircraft and a large unmanned aerial vehicle over central London.
The incident occurred on 19 May at around 18:00 GMT, when an Airbus A320 departing from Heathrow Airport was cruising at 9,200 feet (2,804 metres) and approximately 462 km/h. The crew reported that a bright white object passed over the aircraft.
According to the pilots, the object was triangular in shape and large enough to cover a significant part of the cockpit windscreen. The report stated that the drone was at least 2–3 metres in size, possibly larger. The first officer noted that the object passed about 10 metres above the aircraft.
The UKAB report emphasised that there had been a “definite risk of collision” during the incident. However, the drone operator has not been identified.
An Airbus A320 has a seating capacity of 180 passengers. Authorities did not disclose how many passengers were on board at the time or which airline operated the aircraft.
Ongoing Drone Threat
In the UK, drones are legally prohibited from flying above 400 ft (120 m). However, this incident once again highlights how the rising popularity of drones continues to pose a serious threat to aviation safety.
UKAB’s findings recalled the major drone crisis at Gatwick Airport in 2018, which caused chaos and disrupted the Christmas travel plans of tens of thousands of passengers. Authorities have called for stricter monitoring and regulation to prevent similar incidents in the future.
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