Drone thought to hit plane over London might have been 'plastic bag'
When a drone allegedly collided with a British Airways plane landing at London's Heathrow Airport on Sunday, it was thought to be the first time such a thing had happened.
But it turns out there's little evidence that whatever the plane hit was actually a drone.
You May Also Like
According to the United Kingdom's Department for Transport Minister Robert Goodwill, who spoke about the incident from Parliament on Thursday, it "may have even been a plastic bag."
The pilot of the British Airways Airbus A320 reportedly said upon landing that he thought the plane had collided with a drone as it descended.
But Goodwill said there is scant evidence of a drone collision, and "there was no actual damage to the plane," which was allowed to fly after an inspection.
Goodwill also downplayed calls for stricter controls on drone flight, according to The Telegraph. Even if the accident was caused by a drone, the device was already flying at many times the legal limit.
Metropolitan police are still looking into the incident, as is the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.
Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.
Colin is Mashable's US & World Reporter. He previously interned at Foreign Policy magazine and The American Prospect. Colin is a graduate from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. When he's not at Mashable, you can most likely find him eating or playing some kind of sport.
