U.S. passenger jet nearly collided with drone in March: FAA

[donnay]

U.S. passenger jet nearly collided with drone in March: FAA

By Alwyn Scott

NEW YORK (Reuters) - An American Airlines Group Inc aircraft almost collided with a drone above Florida earlier this year, a near-accident that highlights the growing risk from rising use of unmanned aircraft, the U.S. air safety regulator said.

The pilot reported seeing a small, remote-control aircraft very close to his plane while preparing to land at Tallahassee Regional Airport, said Jim Williams, manager of the Federal Aviation Administration's Unmanned Aircraft System Integration Office.

"The airplane pilot said that the UAS was so close to his jet that he was sure he had collided with it," Williams said at an industry conference on Thursday, referring to an unmanned aircraft system.

The aircraft, operated by an American subsidiary, did not appear to be damaged when it was inspected after the March 22 incident, Williams said.

But the incident served to highlight the risk of remote-control aircraft, he said.

"The risk for a small UAS to be ingested into a passenger airline engine is very real," Williams said. "The results could be catastrophic."

The FAA currently bans the commercial use of drones in the United States and is under growing pressure to set rules that would permit their broader use. Hobby and many law-enforcement uses are permitted.

Last year, the agency began establishing test sites where businesses can try out commercial uses. [ID:nL2N0K90QW] Two of the centers have started working ahead of schedule.

"The FAA is working aggressively to ensure the safe integration of unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace," the agency said in a statement.

The March incident was reported to the Tallahassee control tower by the pilot for Bluestreak Airlines, a US Airways commuter carrier. US Airways is part of American Airlines.

Continued... (http://news.yahoo.com/u-passenger-jet-nearly-collided-drone-march-faa-220558639--sector.html;_ylt=AwrBEiEtU21TpyYATY3QtDMD)

[Anti Federalist]

Funny you should bring that up...

Flying home yesterday, on a heading of about 050 and FL350 about 50 miles west of Dulles, passing below, on a heading of about 160 and maybe 25,000 ft was this:

http://www.oilandenergydaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/aaadrones1.jpg

[Zippyjuan]

Fascinating. That same picture shows up in an article from 2009. https://www.liquidmatrix.org/blog/2009/12/17/of-postcards-and-drones/

(and a lot of other articles since then)

[MelissaWV]

...pretty sure it's obvious he meant a similar aircraft, unless mountains have also recently been installed there.

[Anti Federalist]

Fascinating. That same picture shows up in an article from 2009. https://www.liquidmatrix.org/blog/2009/12/17/of-postcards-and-drones/

(and a lot of other articles since then)

Yeah, Zip, I hung my head out the door at 37,000 feet and snapped that equal altitude picture of a drone.

:rolleyes:

[Anti Federalist]

...pretty sure it's obvious he meant a similar aircraft, unless mountains have also recently been installed there.

Thank you...jeezus...I'll be sure to put "FILE PHOTO" under anything like that from now on.

My point was the drone I saw was hi-bypass turbine powered, not turbo-prop, it was larger than the turbo prop drones with a shorter wingspan and a large radome/communications hump near the bow.

Just like the one in the picture I posted.

[Origanalist]

Fascinating. That same picture shows up in an article from 2009. https://www.liquidmatrix.org/blog/2009/12/17/of-postcards-and-drones/

(and a lot of other articles since then)

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRitLXrR1Jm-FBhpTJaexXyKqADDRTIQ90MBSu1XEes4IaJ6T6b

[orenbus]

The pilot reported that the small unmanned aircraft involved looked similar to an F-4 Phantom jet, and not like a helicopter that might hold a camera that many associate more closely with drones. Such planes have gas turbine engines and can fly higher than an average drone, according to the FAA. Neither the drone in this case, nor its pilot, have been identified.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/09/travel/unmanned-drone-danger/

I love how the media associates the word DRONE in this story when they could have easily said an REMOTE CONTROL AIRPLANE which reports from the pilot sounds like what it was. Not to say that this may have or have not been a dangerous situation, but the words the media uses is ridiculous sometimes when we know that remote control airplanes have long been used before the word drone began to become popular. This is a picture and link of what we are actually talking about, not the typical military grade drone or anything close to it.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/catalog/F4.jpg

http://outdoorpatiopool.com/store/media/promotions/ebay/eap30j_1_.jpg

https://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__10867__F4_Phantom_II_Fighter_R_C_Ducted_Fan_Jet_ Plug_n_Fly.html
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RC-Jet-F-4N-Phantom-DF-J-Power-2-4GHz-EPS-Brushless-RC-Airplane-RTF-/121314468938?pt=Radio_Control_Vehicles&hash=item1c3ee7e44a

[Zippyjuan]

Thank you...jeezus...I'll be sure to put "FILE PHOTO" under anything like that from now on.

My point was the drone I saw was hi-bypass turbine powered, not turbo-prop, it was larger than the turbo prop drones with a shorter wingspan and a large radome/communications hump near the bow.

Just like the one in the picture I posted.

My apologies for my comment.

[Anti Federalist]

My apologies for my comment.

No worries.

[Danke]

Funny you should bring that up...

Flying home yesterday, on a heading of about 050 and FL350 about 50 miles west of Dulles, passing below, on a heading of about 160 and maybe 25,000 ft was this:


You may have seen a drone aircraft, but it would have been much closer than 10K' away to see any detail of such a small object. How do you know the headings? Relying on moving map displayed, Internet? I laughed.

[Anti Federalist]

You may have seen a drone aircraft, but it would have been much closer than 10K' away to see any detail of such a small object. How do you know the headings? Relying on moving map displayed, Internet? I laughed.

Just guessing flyboy, just guessing.

I know you guys are blind without the computers holding your hand, but I can look out the window, as long as we're VMC, and I can get an idea what heading we're on.

IFR = I Follow Roads.

[Danke]

Just guessing flyboy, just guessing.

I know you guys are blind without the computers holding your hand, but I can look out the window, as long as we're VMC, and I can get an idea what heading we're on.

IFR = I Follow Roads.

I have extensive training without "computers" I was even an instructor that taught students in navigation without "computers."

I have flown in areas all over this world with maps and targets strapped to my leg, including Iraq.

You really have no idea what you are talking about looking out a 12" window.

[Origanalist]

http://www.picgifs.com/reaction-gifs/reaction-gifs/popcorn-dis-gon-b-gud/popcorn49.gif

[coastie]

http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/09/travel/unmanned-drone-danger/

I love how the media associates the word DRONE in this story when they could have easily said an REMOTE CONTROL AIRPLANE which reports from the pilot sounds like what it was. Not to say that this may have or have not been a dangerous situation, but the words the media uses is ridiculous sometimes when we know that remote control airplanes have long been used before the word drone began to become popular. This is a picture and link of what we are actually talking about, not the typical military grade drone or anything close to it.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/catalog/F4.jpg

http://outdoorpatiopool.com/store/media/promotions/ebay/eap30j_1_.jpg

https://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__10867__F4_Phantom_II_Fighter_R_C_Ducted_Fan_Jet_ Plug_n_Fly.html
http://www.ebay.com/itm/RC-Jet-F-4N-Phantom-DF-J-Power-2-4GHz-EPS-Brushless-RC-Airplane-RTF-/121314468938?pt=Radio_Control_Vehicles&hash=item1c3ee7e44a

Yep, they fly those, F-16's and various other drones above my house 20 times a day.

[Danke]

as long as we're VMC, .

VMC? Holy fuck you are behind the times.

We have been conducting precision bombing for over thirty years at night and also in inclement weather.

[Anti Federalist]

http://www.picgifs.com/reaction-gifs/reaction-gifs/popcorn-dis-gon-b-gud/popcorn49.gif

I'm not gonna rise to the bait.

I have too much of a man-crush on Danke.

;)

[Anti Federalist]

I have extensive training without "computers" I was even an instructor that taught students in navigation without "computers."

I have flown in areas all over this world with maps and targets strapped to my leg, including Iraq.

You really have no idea what you are talking about looking out a 12" window.

http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111209230954/uncyclopedia/images/5/55/COME_HUG_ME_BRO.png

[Danke]

http://static.someecards.com/someecards/usercards/MjAxMy1lMTI1OGZlMmEyYzViZGQw.png

[Anti Federalist]

http://static.someecards.com/someecards/usercards/MjAxMy1lMTI1OGZlMmEyYzViZGQw.png

I know I touched a nerve here for some reason, but I stand by what I saw, or thought I saw anyway, at about the altitude and headings I described.

Is it somehow outside the realm of possibility that a drone of that type would be within 100 miles of Andrews AFB?