Helicopter crew’s near miss

A drone came perilously within reach of a rescue helicopter, an official probe has revealed.

The pilot of the aircraft, which was carrying medics on their way to aid a patient, said the risk of collision was “high” after the drone came within 40ft of the helicopter. Investigators said “safety had been much reduced” and gave the incident their second-highest crash rating.

The EC135 helicopter crew had been sent to Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire on August 13, and found they were unable to land on the beach due to a group of people nearby. The pilot then spotted the drone “at the same level and very close to the aircraft,” according to a report by the UK Airprox Board, which investigates near-misses.

The helicopter was then landed in a nearby field.

The pilot said the drone had come within 40ft of the helicopter. According to the report: “The pilot’s overall account of the incident portrayed a situation where safety had been much reduced.”