Boeing 737 Passenger Jet Damaged in Possible Midair Drone Hit (bloomberg.com)

Grupo Aeromexico SAB is investigating whether a drone slammed into a Boeing Co. 737 jetliner as the aircraft approached its destination in Tijuana, Mexico, on the U.S. border. From a report: Images on local media showed considerable damage to the nose of the 737-800, which was operating Wednesday as Flight 773 from Guadalajara. In a cabin recording, crew members can be heard saying they heard a "pretty loud bang" and asking the control tower to check if the nose was damaged. The collision happened shortly before landing. "The exact cause is still being investigated," Aeromexico said in a statement. "The aircraft landed normally and the passengers' safety was never compromised."

The potential drone strike stoked fears that the rising use of uncrewed aircraft will endanger planes filled with passengers. While most nations prohibit drones from flying in pathways reserved for airliners, the millions of small consumer devices that have been purchased around the world can't be tracked on radar, making it difficult for authorities to enforce the rules. In addition, many users don't know the rules or don't follow them.

Comments

Must be a drone

[110010001000]

Nothing else flies in the air.

Re:Must be a drone

[froggyjojodaddy]

It could have been a bird, but the lack of blood and guts on an otherwise pristine white paint job reduces it's likelihood quite a lot.

Re:Solution

[froggyjojodaddy]

Or.... and I'm just throwing this out there...

You prohibit drones flying in air corridors (is that what they're called?) and you strictly enforce it with hefty fines or jail time. What's the difference between someone catapulting a rock into a 737 vs. a drone?

Re:Solution

[apoc.famine]

The number of youtube views.

What idiot does this?

[Anonymous Coward]

So many idiots out there, I guarantee that a drone will take out a airliner eventually. Then the whole drone industry will be subject to major lawsuits. This will only get worse as drones become more popular and owned by more idiots.

Check the nose cone for

[Tulsa_Time]

Drug Residue ....

Special delivery went off course

Re:ADS-B transponders for drones

[DanDD]

Manned aircraft have to take off and land on runways.

Wrong. I have 8.50x6 tires on my plane. I land in fields, roads, and 'outback' places all over Utah, Idaho and Arizona. In Colorado I keep my off-airport landings to private fields, few of which are labeled as a runway. Kansas is littered with wonderful little grass and dirt strips, as is Oklahoma and Texas.

Plus, you could just get one shipped from another country that does not have ADS-B.

One could also track any such drone with a J-STARS, Rivet Joint, and/or AWACS, then dispatch the operator with a SOPGM. Or just have the FBI review the persistent aerial surveillance, watch where the operators walk and and drive over the course of a 48 hour period, then just knock on their door and arrest them.

Believe me, if you fly in US Airspace and annoy someone enough, there's nowhere you can hide. 9/11 made sure of that.