Investigation launched into suspected Heathrow drone collision
The UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch has launched an investigation into an incident that occurred on Sunday afternoon (17 April), when flight BA727 from Geneva had a collision with what the plane’s pilot believed to be a drone on its approach to Heathrow. The plane, which had 132 passengers and five crew members on board, landed safely at the west London airport. However, the suspected collision has followed on from a string of incidents involving drones at Heathrow.
Previous incidents have included “near misses” – Sunday’s aerial encounter is believed to be the first time that a drone has actually hit a plane in UK airspace.
Steve Landells, from the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa), told the BBC that the incident has not come as a surprise, as it was “only a matter of time before we had a drone strike”.
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has reminded the public that flying drones near an airport is “totally unacceptable” and anyone caught doing so could face imprisonment.
David Burrowes, the MP for the London constituency Enfield Southgate and a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee, has called for a licensing and registration scheme for owners of high-powered drones.
