Near-collisions between drones, airliners surge in US
November 27, 2014 01:06
Pilots around the United States have reported a surge in near-collisions and other dangerous encounters with small drones in the past six months at a time when the Federal Aviation Administration is gradually opening the nations skies to remotely controlled aircraft, according to FAA records.
Since June 1, commercial airlines, private pilots and air-traffic controllers have alerted the FAA about at least 25 episodes in which small drones came within a few seconds or a few feet of crashing into much larger aircraft, the records show.
Many of the close calls occurred during takeoffs and landings at the nations busiest airports, presenting a new threat to aviation safety after decades of steady improvement in air travel.
Many of the close calls occurred during takeoffs and landings at the nations busiest airports, presenting a new threat to aviation safety after decades of steady improvement in air travel.
Many of the previously unreported incident reports -- released Wednesday by the FAA in response to long-standing public-records requests from The Washington Post and other news organizations -- occurred near New York and Washington.
The FAA data indicates that drones are posing a much greater hazard to air traffic than previously recognized.
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