Near collision of plane and ‘unidentified’ drone at Heathrow
An unidentified drone and a plane came close to collision as it landed at Heathrow in July, the CAA has confirmed.
The pilot reported seeing a helicopter-style drone as the plane approached the runway although the airline has not been identified.
The CAA gave the incident its highest ‘A’ rating, meaning a ‘serious risk of collision’.
The British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) has been campaigning for better regulation and better enforcement on the flying of drones, which are often used as promotional tools for events companies.
It claims that the rapid increase in the number of drones operated by amateurs now poses ‘a real risk’ to commercial aircraft.
On its website, it says: "Drone technology is here to stay and will have important economic benefits for the UK in the future, but BALPA is committed to ensuring that the right regulations are put in place to keep the public, passengers and pilots safe.
"BALPA is also casting its eye to the future development of drone technology. It’s possible we could see large remote aircraft the same size as a Boeing 737 being operated commercially in our skies within ten years.
"The regulations governing the safety and security of these aircraft are yet to be decided, so now is the time to put tough rules in place before they fly over our homes and towns and cities in the coming years."
The CAA said it had to depend on people using their common sense when they operated drones.
It said to the BBC: "There are rules which have the force of law and have to be followed."
Diane
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