Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Jet Strikes Drone Near Heathrow Airport (marketwatch.com)

Posted by EditorDavid on from the navigation-shortcuts dept.

smooth wombat writes: "A British Airways flight Sunday appears to have collided with a drone on a flight bound for London's busy Heathrow Airport in what may be the first such incident involving a major airline," according to MarketWatch. "The flight from Geneva, Switzerland to Heathrow, Europe's busiest hub, is believed to have struck a drone, the London Metropolitan Police said in a statement. The plane landed safely following the incident, which occurred around 12:50 p.m. local time. 'It was only a matter of time before we had a drone strike given the huge numbers being flown around by amateurs who don't understand the risks and the rules,' said BALPA flight safety specialist Steve Landells... 'Much more education of drone users and enforcement of the rules is needed to ensure our skies remain safe from this threat'."

3 of 401 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Manufacturer's responsibility by wvmarle · · Score: 5, Insightful

    There are lots of "common sense" things, especially in US manuals, such as don't iron clothes on your body or while taking a bath.

    Obviously plenty of people need reminders.

  2. Re:Obviously, no safety problem was demonstrated h by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What a moron. We have wait until an airliner crashes, then we do something, right? You'll notice that the thing was not sucked into an engine, and that the 747 was landing, not taking off. If both those criteria had been met then your post might read a little differently. You appear not to notice the research that has been conducted on bird strikes on large jets for many years. You also seem to be unaware of the unlucky passengers of light aircraft who have had large birds land in their laps, along with chunks of perspex and aluminium. The pilots are asking for more research, but you'd rather not find out because, hey, your rights trump everything and everyone.

  3. Re:regulation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Here's the thing though-

    Every commercial plane is tested against strikes with fowl. Are they really going to tell me a drone is going to cause more damage that a chicken being shot through a cannon?

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_gun

    I get you don't want airspace to be packed with drones, but is an occasional strike really worth all this handwringing?

    It seems more they are in search of finding a reason to regulate than addressing any current problem.