Drone suspected to collide with passenger plane at 1,700 feet

A pilot of a British Airways passenger plane has reported about a possible drone collision mid-air at 1,700 feet, giving heat to the rising concerns about drone flights.

On Sunday afternoon, British Airways Flight BA727 was approaching London’s Heathrow airport via Geneva and is now under investigation for a possible collision with a drone, as per the concerns of the flight’s pilot. The plane was travelling at a height of 1,700 feet when the pilot believes a drone collided with it.

The plane was carrying 132 passengers, including five crew members.

The Airbus is reported to have landed safely and is in perfectly fine condition according to a British Airways spokesman, Michael Johnson. The airline’s engineers examined the aircraft and it was cleared to operate its next flight.

“Thankfully the aircraft landed safely but the incident highlights the very real dangers of reckless, negligent and some times malicious use of drones,” said Chief Superintendent Martin Hendy, head of Metropolitan Police Service’s Aviation Policing Command “We continue to work with the Civil Aviation Authority and other partners to tackle this issue and ensure that enthusiasts who fly drones understand the dangers and the law.”

No arrest has been made as of yet but authorities believe that the drone in consideration was launched from southwest London’s Richmond Park, which is one of the eight royal parks banned for drone flights due to terrorism concerns. They are on the lookout for any kind of debris and have called on the public to get in touch with any information about the drone. Flying a drone above 400 feets is also a violation, as is flying near airports.

Flying a drone above 400 feet is a violation in Britain.

“It is totally unacceptable to fly drones close to airports, and anyone flouting the rules can face severe penalties including imprisonment,” said a statement by the Civil Aviation Authority.

Drones have increased at an alarming pace in the last few years and there is a dire need for new rules and regulations to govern the flights of these objects. A recent report, based on the Bard College’s Center for the Study of the Drone’s analysis of Federal Aviation Administration data from August 21, 2015 to January 31, 2016, concluded that there were 519 incidents involving passenger aircraft and unmanned drones in the U.S. within that period.

Source — CNN