An Airbus A320, operated by Easyjet, was flying from Gatwick Airport in the UK to Rhodes in Greece when an “unidentified flying object” at 16,000 feet missed the commercial jet by only feet, according to Business Insider, citing a report by the UK Airprox Board.
Pilots of the A320 said the black and cylindrical object came within 10 feet of the plane in what they described as a “near miss.”
Airprox’s report said the incident was labeled a “Category A,” implying if the object, most likely a drone, struck the plane, it would’ve resulted in severe damage.
“In the board’s opinion, the reported altitude and/or description of the object were sufficient to indicate that it could have been a drone,” the board said.
UK’s National Air Traffic Services said the pilots first reported the incident in July at around 16,000 feet to London air traffic controllers. Here’s what they said:
“Going through FL160 we very nearly just hit a drone. We’re talking less than ten feet,” the pilot said. “We don’t think we’ve hit it, there was a bit of a thud, we’ll come back to you.”
Airprox determined the A320 didn’t hit the drone, and the noise came from within the cabin.
A drone operating at 16,000 feet is more than 40 times the legal limit (of 400 feet) for unmanned aerial vehicles.
Easyjet confirmed the incident to Insider:
“We are aware of the report and will always fully support any investigation.
“Safety is always easyJet’s highest priority and our flight crew acted in accordance with our standard operating procedures to ensure the safety of the flight was not compromised.”
This isn’t the first time a drone has flown dangerously close to a commercial aircraft. In 2018, someone flew a drone hundreds of feet away from an A380 airliner, taking off.
A shocking video from earlier in 2018 shows a drone dive-bombing a commercial jet in the US.
And here’s what happens when a police drone in Canada collides with a small plane.
It could only be a matter of time before a reckless drone operator collides with a large plane and sparks some aviation emergency or disaster.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 10/25/2022 – 18:25
