A British Airways flight encountered a perilous situation as it flew over Kent, coming alarmingly close to a drone at an altitude of 9,600 feet.
With 180 passengers aboard, the aircraft reportedly traveled 205 miles per hour when an illegally operated drone approached within five feet of its right wing.
British Airways, American Airlines, and Other Carriers Cancelled Flights Due to Coronavirus in China (Photo: Hannah McKay of REUTERS)
Close Encounter: A Drone's Dangerous Proximity
Drones have become increasingly popular for capturing aerial footage and delivering various goods. While these unmanned aerial vehicles offer unique perspectives, they pose a significant threat to aircraft safety, especially when operated illegally near flight paths.
In the United Kingdom, the Civil Aviation Authority enforces a flight restriction zone (FRZ) around airfields, spaceports, and airports, prohibiting drones from flying unless they receive authorization from these establishments.
Drones are permitted to operate outside of these designated zones, provided they stay below 400 feet (120 m) in altitude and maintain a safe distance from crowds and structures.
The BA flight incident raised significant concerns despite the explicit regulations regarding drone operations. Interesting Engineering reported that the near-collision occurred at approximately 4:30 pm on January 3 this year.
The aircraft involved was a British Airways Airbus A321 inbound from Athens, Greece, traveling at a speed of 250 miles (402 km) per hour.
It was positioned approximately six miles south of Sevenoaks, operating within the holding stack before proceeding to join the final approach path toward Heathrow Airport.
The flight crew observed an airborne object positioned directly to the right of the aircraft's nose, maintaining proximity. Upon closer inspection, the pilots identified the object as resembling a drone in shape.
Subsequently, the object traversed downward along the aircraft's right-hand side, passing over the right wing. The pilots approximated that the drone came within a mere five feet of the aircraft's wing and approximately 30 feet from the cockpit.
Assessing the situation, the pilots deemed the risk of a collision to be significant.
The pilots swiftly relayed the encountered hazard to London Air Traffic Control (ATC), who promptly communicated the information to the subsequent aircraft in flight behind the British Airways (BA) flight.
Despite the alarming encounter, the flight crew managed to navigate the remainder of the journey to Heathrow Airport without encountering any further complications.
Navigating Drone Regulations
An investigation into the incident described in the report confirmed the presence of a drone through radar data at the time of the event. However, no primary or secondary contact was visually detected.
Categorized as a Category A incident, indicating a severe risk of collision, the report underscores the seriousness of the situation.
British Airways emphasized the significance of such incidents, stating that their pilots promptly report such occurrences to ensure appropriate investigation and action by the authorities.
Typically, commercially available drones are equipped with height restrictions embedded in their operational software.
However, these limitations can be bypassed through the installation of software patches obtained from online sources. Additionally, the addition of supplementary battery packs can extend the drone's altitude capabilities.
The operator of the drone likely aimed to capture aerial footage of the aircraft in mid-flight. Nevertheless, pilots caution that the ingestion of a drone into an aircraft's engine could lead to catastrophic consequences.
Under UK regulations, the identified drone operator could potentially face up to five years of imprisonment for this violation.
