A British Airways flight narrowly missed a presumed drone during take off, the UK Airprox Board has reported. In its monthly report of close encounters, Airprox said the pilot had seen a “shiny silver object.” The flight was taking off from London Heathrow on June 24 2026 at around 12.08pm, heading for New York.
The object was classed as a grade A risk
The Boeing 777 was climbing to 6,000ft but as it was passing 5,800ft, an unidentified object flew past the aircraft. As detailed in the report, it was determined to be:
“A shiny, silver object (likely a mid-size drone) which passed in the opposite direction, very fast and very close to the right wing of the aircraft at no more than 50ft above aircraft altitude. It was too close for comfort.”
Although the object is presumed to be a drone, the board was unable to determine the nature of the object. The plane did not need to take any action and landed in its destination as planned. The investigative board concluded there was no risk of collision, but labelled the object as a grade A risk, the highest category on the International Civil Aviation Organization’s safety score.
Object was size of “four toasters”
The pilot reportedly told Air Traffic Control of the incident and after they enquired about the size, the pilot stated it was about:
“The size of four toasters.”
NATS Safety Investigations reviewed the incident at the time but no radar contacts associated with the drone were available.
Drones have been a concern for aviation for awhile, with several incidents over the years. This year, there have been multiple incidents involving Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft. In Feb. 2026, an RAF Voyager tanker refuelling a Eurofighter Typhoon had an unidentified object fly over it at 17,000 ft, causing the commander to physically duck. In the same month, a Eurofighter Typhoon encountered a black, “car-tire-sized” object passing above.
Drones can cause catastrophic physical damage to planes, destroying jet turbines or shattering cockpit windscreens. The sighting of a drone near runways can disrupt airport operations, delaying flights and suspending landings. There are restrictions on drones flying near runways, which are enforced by UK aviation law.
What do you think the object was? Let us know in the comments.
