Drone Hits Passenger Jet In London

We’ve all heard the fears about “all that drone flying coming to no good”. And even though most of us remained optimistic, there is no denying the fact that some trouble may be in the air.

British police and government aviation investigators have launched inquiries after a passenger jet was hit  by what was believed to be a drone as it approached a London airport on Sunday.

According to London Metropolis Police, British Airways Flight BA727 from Geneva was coming in for a landing at Heathrow Airport in London when it was struck by a drone.

The collision did not result in any injuries to the passengers or damage to the plane. The Airbus A320 landed safely: all the 132 passengers together with 5 crew members came out unscathed and the plane was declared safe to continue with its next flight. On Monday, Britain’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch  and the local police announced that it would be looking into the incident.No arrests have been made so far and it is still unclear who the rebel drone belongs to.

In response to the unfortunate UAV event, Britain’s Civil Aviation Authority made a statement requiring all drone operators to strictly follow the rules. There are several key no-nos for a UAV operator.

• Never let the drone fly out of your sight
• Do not fly above 400 feet
• Do not fly close to airports and aircrafts.

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

We remind you that while it’s highly unusual for a drone to hit a plane, but this is not the first instance of drones getting in way of planes. Just last year on August 2^nd, two airplanes preparing for landing at JFK reported drone sightings at different times: JetBlue Flight 1843 at 2.24 PM and Delta Flight 407 at 5 PM. Neither airplane had to take evasive action, but the matter is currently being investigated by the FAA. Read more here.

Check out more on drone rules and mishaps.