Drone collision scare at Heathrow

A Passenger jet came close to hitting a small amateur-operated drone near Heathrow, it has emerged.

The Airbus A320's pilot spotted the unmanned aircraft, which did not show up on air traffic control systems. It is thought to be the first such near-miss over Britain. Continue...

The incident, given the most serious  'A' rating, took place on July 22 as the Airbus flew at an altitude of 700ft. It is unclear what type of drone was involved and its owner was never identified. Had it been sucked into the plane's engine, it could have caused a disaster.

The results of an investigation by the UK Airprox Board will be published on Friday. Small drones are selling for as little as £35 and police fear more mishaps as people are given then for Christmas.

Pilots' union Balpa called for regulation to ensure drones sharing airspace with piloted aircraft can be flown only by trained operators. General secretary Jim McAuslan said: "The UK should become a safe drone zone so we can make the most of the major business and leisure opportunities offered by remotely piloted aircraft, while protecting passengers, pilots and residents. The technology is developing quickly and we could see remote aircraft the same size as a Boeing 737 being operated commercially in our skies within ten years."

Source: Monday Metro