Plane 'within metres' of crashing after 'terrifying' near miss moments after taking off
The Airbus A320 passenger plane had just taken off from Heathrow Airport
The drone flew within 10m of the aircraft in a terrifying moment
(Image: PA)
A passenger aircraft came extremely close to hitting a drone, with the device completely "filling" the cockpit windscreen. The Airbus A320 had just left London's Heathrow Airport and was flying at 9,000 ft when the near miss occurred in May.
An investigation into the incident said: "Both the Captain and First Officer saw a bright white object pass overhead from the opposite direction. The object appeared to be approximately 2-3m in size at the very least, it may have been larger as it filled a good proportion of the windshield. There was no appreciable separation vertical or horizontal."
The UK's Airprox Board, which investigates airborne incidents, was informed that a suspected drone had been seen close to London's City Airport just before the close call.
The report continued: "The First Officer observed that it was triangular in shape. The Captain only saw the object for a second or two in peripheral vision so could not reliably comment on the shape. No markings were identified."
The pilot explained that the device flew over them, within about 10m of the aircraft, and it was later determined by the Board that "providence had played a major part in the incident and/or a definite risk of collision had existed".
In April, it was reported that a drone came within '10m-20m' of striking a Boeing 737 airliner during its descent to Gatwick Airport, highlighting increasing concerns about unmanned aircraft operating near aviation hubs.
Article continues below
The passenger aircraft was above Bexhill-on-Sea in East Sussex, approaching Gatwick Airport, when the drone was spotted. The B737 Captain spotted a black object ahead of the plane and there was "no time to take avoiding action".
The incident on January 12 this year received an A rating, the highest risk category, and it was subsequently reported to Air Traffic Control with the threat of a collision described as 'high'.
With the use of drones increasing throughout the UK, police have made several warnings about their use near airports and in public areas. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here .
Meanwhile, a revolutionary ray gun which employs high-frequency radio waves to knock them from the sky has been successfully tested by the Army.
Military personnel deployed the device to target them in the most extensive trial of its kind at a Welsh firing range. Defence minister Maria Eagle hailed it as a game-changer.
According to the Ministry of Defence, each shot from the Radiofrequency Directed Energy Weapon (RF DEW) costs 10p, meaning it could complement existing systems.
Article continues below
The British-made weapon utilises radio waves to destroy vital electronic parts within drones, forcing them to crash or fail.
It can fire at drones flying up to 1km away and testing has demonstrated it's able to strike multiple targets at once. The army has successfully tracked and defeated over 100 drones using the weapon.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
a day ago
- Wales Online
Plane 'within metres' of crashing after 'terrifying' near miss moments after taking off
Plane 'within metres' of crashing after 'terrifying' near miss moments after taking off The Airbus A320 passenger plane had just taken off from Heathrow Airport The drone flew within 10m of the aircraft in a terrifying moment (Image: PA) A passenger aircraft came extremely close to hitting a drone, with the device completely "filling" the cockpit windscreen. The Airbus A320 had just left London's Heathrow Airport and was flying at 9,000 ft when the near miss occurred in May. An investigation into the incident said: "Both the Captain and First Officer saw a bright white object pass overhead from the opposite direction. The object appeared to be approximately 2-3m in size at the very least, it may have been larger as it filled a good proportion of the windshield. There was no appreciable separation vertical or horizontal." The UK's Airprox Board, which investigates airborne incidents, was informed that a suspected drone had been seen close to London's City Airport just before the close call. The report continued: "The First Officer observed that it was triangular in shape. The Captain only saw the object for a second or two in peripheral vision so could not reliably comment on the shape. No markings were identified." The pilot explained that the device flew over them, within about 10m of the aircraft, and it was later determined by the Board that "providence had played a major part in the incident and/or a definite risk of collision had existed". In April, it was reported that a drone came within '10m-20m' of striking a Boeing 737 airliner during its descent to Gatwick Airport, highlighting increasing concerns about unmanned aircraft operating near aviation hubs. Article continues below The passenger aircraft was above Bexhill-on-Sea in East Sussex, approaching Gatwick Airport, when the drone was spotted. The B737 Captain spotted a black object ahead of the plane and there was "no time to take avoiding action". The incident on January 12 this year received an A rating, the highest risk category, and it was subsequently reported to Air Traffic Control with the threat of a collision described as 'high'. With the use of drones increasing throughout the UK, police have made several warnings about their use near airports and in public areas. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here . Meanwhile, a revolutionary ray gun which employs high-frequency radio waves to knock them from the sky has been successfully tested by the Army. Military personnel deployed the device to target them in the most extensive trial of its kind at a Welsh firing range. Defence minister Maria Eagle hailed it as a game-changer. According to the Ministry of Defence, each shot from the Radiofrequency Directed Energy Weapon (RF DEW) costs 10p, meaning it could complement existing systems. Article continues below The British-made weapon utilises radio waves to destroy vital electronic parts within drones, forcing them to crash or fail. It can fire at drones flying up to 1km away and testing has demonstrated it's able to strike multiple targets at once. The army has successfully tracked and defeated over 100 drones using the weapon.
The Independent
4 days ago
- The Independent
The £3m UK island that could host ‘the most unbelievable raves'
Thorne Island, a historic fortress off the Welsh coast, has been transformed from a derelict site into a private party island, now listed for sale at £3 million. Originally a 19th-century Napoleonic fort, the island was converted into a hotel in 1947 before lying empty and overgrown for 17 years until its purchase in 2017. Former software CEO Mike Conner bought the island for £555,000 and spent five years and significant investment on renovations, overcoming challenges like a lack of utilities and difficult terrain. The 2.5-acre island now boasts over 8,000 square feet of accommodation, including a helipad, a nightclub, five bedrooms, and is fully off-grid with renewable energy systems. Mr Conner envisions the island as a potential tourist attraction or a venue for large-scale events and "unbelievable raves," capable of hosting up to 800 people without disturbing neighbours.
Wales Online
4 days ago
- Wales Online
How AI could help slash NHS hospital discharge delays
How AI could help slash NHS hospital discharge delays A new trial hopes to help doctors spend less time on paperwork and more time with patients The roll out a new AI backed project (Image: Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror) Technology is being piloted to help free up NHS hospital beds occupied by people who are fit to be sent home. The platform uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help complete the documents needed to discharge patients, potentially saving hours of delays. AI will extract information from medical records, including diagnoses and test results, to help medics draft discharge summaries before a patient goes home. The Press Association reports the move – which is being piloted at London's Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust – will allow doctors to spend less time on paperwork and more on care, according to UK health secretary Wes Streeting. After a discharge summary is drafted with AI assistance, the document will be reviewed by healthcare professionals responsible for the patient. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter . The current manual system can sometimes leave patients waiting for hours to be discharged as doctors may be too busy to fill in forms, according to the UK's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. We have asked the Welsh Government if it plans to take the technology forward in Wales. Mr Streeting has made clear he hopes to roll it out across England, saying: 'This potentially transformational discharge tool is a prime example of how we're shifting from analogue to digital as part of our 10-year health plan. 'We're using cutting-edge technology to build an NHS fit for the future and tackle the hospital backlogs that have left too many people waiting too long. Article continues below 'Doctors will spend less time on paperwork and more time with patients, getting people home to their families faster and freeing up beds for those who need them most.' The tool for discharge summaries is not the only AI project backed by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. In January he said AI will be used to 'turn around' the economy and public services. And AI technology that helps organise notes quicker will be given to all 12,000 probation officers later this year. The system helps transcribe and take notes from meetings that officers have with offenders after they leave prison. Speaking on a visit to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, the UK's technology secretary Peter Kyle said: 'This is exactly the kind of change we need – AI being used to give doctors, probation officers and other key workers more time to focus on delivering better outcomes and speeding up vital services. 'This Government inherited a public sector decimated by years of underinvestment and is crying out for reform. These AI exemplars show the best ways in which we're using tech to build a smarter, more efficient state. 'When we get this right across government, we're talking about unlocking £45billion in productivity gains, delivering our plan for change and investing in growth, not bureaucracy.' Article continues below
