Virgin Atlantic jet was just 10ft away from hitting drone
A VIRGIN Atlantic airliner carrying up to 264 passengers was just 10ft away from smashing into a drone, a report has revealed.
The terrifying incident, which took place at 3,200ft as the jet flew in to Heathrow, is believed to be the closest near miss between a passenger plane and a drone in UK airspace.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner was travelling at around 250mph over residential streets in London when it nearly collided with the illegally flown drone earlier this year.
A report by UK Airprox Board (UKAB), which investigates near misses, said the ‘drone-like object was seen to pass just below the right wing, avoiding impact with the engine by an estimated 10ft’.
The aircraft, on an eight-and-ahalf-hour flight from Delhi, landed safely after the narrow escape which took place as it flew above a residential area just north of Clapham Common, south London, at 4.56pm on June 25.
Air traffic controllers were immediately informed, but it is believed police never tracked down the operator of the drone, which had been flying at eight times the legal height.
The number of near misses between aircraft and drones has soared in recent years as the devices have become more popular – fuelling fears of a catastrophic collision.
Experts fear an impact with a heavy drone could disable a jet engine or cause serious injury to pilots by smashing a windscreen.
The Civil Aviation Authority said the near miss was believed to have been the closest call between a drone and a commercial airliner in UK airspace.
It was feared a British Airways flight from Geneva may have been hit by a drone at 1,700ft over Richmond Park, south-west London, as it came in to Heathrow in April 2016. However, then-transport minister Robert Goodwill later revealed the object may have been a plastic bag.
Drone operators are usually only allowed to fly below 400ft and must keep their devices in sight. They must also stay clear of airports and flight paths. Operators who endanger the safety of an aircraft can be jailed for five years.
The UKAB report rated the latest incident as category A – the highest possible, meaning there was ‘a serious risk of collision’.
It said: ‘The drone was being flown beyond VLOS [visual line of sight] limits and on an airfield approach path, such that it was endangering other aircraft.
‘ The board agreed that the incident was therefore best described as the drone was flown into conflict with the B787.
‘The board considered that the pilot’s overall account of the incident portrayed a situation where providence had played a major part in the incident and/or a definite risk of collision had existed.’
The near miss led to Virgin Atlantic calling for tighter rules to prevent drones being flown near airports and flight paths.
A spokesman said: ‘We can confirm that pilots operating flight VS301 from Delhi to London on June 25 reported seeing a drone on their approach.
‘It’s vital action is taken to regulate the use of drones near airports … we urge the Government to consider further proposals.’
A recent study, part-funded by the Department for Transport, found that a mid-air collision with a drone weighing 4lb could ‘critically damage’ a plane windscreen.
It was revealed in March that near misses with drones in UK airspace had more than trebled in two years. Some 92 were reported last year, up from 29 in 2015.
Last month it was reported that a drone came within 100ft of hitting an Airbus A321 three miles above South Yorkshire – the highest-ever drone near miss.