Drone reportedly collides with passenger plane in London
Imagine flying along in economy class, when a drone smashes into your window and makes you spill your peanuts. This is a new reality. In actual fact, the outcome could be way worse than dropping a couple of nuts.
On Sunday, a pilot said he believed a drone flew right into the front of his British Airways plane as he was landing it in London, according to CNN. If this turns out to be true, it is believed to be the first reported case of a drone hitting the plane of a major airline.
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The Airbus A320, which was carrying 132 passengers and five crew, was flying from Geneva, Switzerland to London's Heathrow Airport when some idiot apparently got up in his flight path. The incident reportedly occurred at 12:50 p.m. local time.
When the plane landed, authorities inspected the aircraft and also came to the conclusion that a rogue drone had smashed into the plane. It was then cleared to continue flying.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman told the UK Telegraph that the pilot reported the incident to police.
"It transpired that an object, believed to be a drone, had struck the front of the aircraft. No arrests have been made and inquiries continue. Aviation police based at Heathrow investigate," the spokesperson said.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has strict rules related to the use of drones in the UK. Drones are not allowed to be flown near airports or aircraft. They should also remain below a height of 400 feet (121 metres) and within eyesight at all times.
That probably means flying your drone toward an A320 is not the best idea.
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