An aircraft taking off from London Heathrow Airport narrowly avoided colliding with a drone flying considerably higher than legally allowed. The plane was a passenger jet operated by Virgin Atlantic.
A Near-Miss
A drone flying above Woking, Surrey, came within 16 feet of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner jet, almost colliding with the aircraft. Carrying 264 passengers, the Virgin Atlantic plane was taking off from London Heathrow Airport (LHR), bound for Johannesburg in South Africa, when the incident occurred earlier this summer.
The drone was flying at 5,500 feet, over 13 times the legal limit, when it nearly crashed into a Virgin Atlantic plane in June. According to a safety report, the drone was sighted ‘too late and too fast’ for the pilots or air traffic controllers to take any avoiding action.
Despite the proximity though, a crash was avoided, and the pilots subsequently raised the alarm, warning other aircraft of the drone’s presence in the area. LHR air traffic control and police were also informed. Shortly after, an ensuing flight spotted the drone again at 5,000 feet. The drone was described as being light in colour, either cream or white, and measuring around three feet in diameter.
Unwelcome Drone Activity
In the UK, drones that are controlled by people from the ground or increasingly fly autonomously, are permitted to fly at a maximum height of 400 feet.
Moreover, flying a drone in controlled airspace, such as around an airport, without authorisation from the airport and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), is illegal. London Heathrow Airport and the surrounding areas are designated a ‘no-fly’ zone for drones, and as such, the act can carry significant penalties, including criminal charges. Though the operator was not identified, they could face up to five years in prison if caught.
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