Latest news with #UKAirproxBoard
North Wales Chronicle
22-07-2025
- General
- North Wales Chronicle
Anglesey: RAF Hawk planes' near miss with civilian aircraft
But a report from the UK Airprox Board (UKAB) found that this incident, shortly after 3.30pm on January 30, did not cause any injuries. The report stated that, following an exit from low level via the A5 pass at Bethesda, the Hawks contacted Valley Approach. After reaching a height of 2,000 feet, the pilots were informed of 'non-cooperating traffic' over the Menai Straits. READ MORE: Holyhead Poundland shop to stay amid 68-store closure plan Anglesey residents celebrate £400K Postcode Lottery windfall Air Traffic Control contacted Caernarfon Aerodrome to ask who was operating the civilian aircraft in question, but was told it was 'not local to Caernarfon'. The RAF Hawks passed 150 feet above the two-seater civilian plane, and 100 feet to the side of it – there was deemed a 'medium' risk of a crash. The UKAB said in its report that the recommended action would have been for the jets to reach a higher altitude of 2,500 feet, but this was not possible in this instance due to low clouds. No information was given about the occupant of the civilian aircraft. HQ Air Command added in the report: 'RAF Valley conducted a thorough and professional local investigation into this Airprox. 'The C42 pilot may have been following the CAA's Skyway Code guidance to fly to the right of line features such as the coast, also reflected as guidance in RA2307. 'The Caernarfon entry into the AIP states aircraft 'are to fly at 1500ft or below in the Menai Straits area,' but the Valley DAM wording of 'encouraged to fly at or below 1500ft' is perhaps more realistic. 'A strong relationship with Caernarfon is evident, but some pilots think compliance with the law is all that's required. 'The RAF tries to engage with them and take best advantage of all means to share airspace responsibly. It can't be assumed that all aircraft will follow local procedures.' The UKAB concluded: 'The board also agreed that whilst the 'letter of the law' had required the Hawk formation to have given way to the C42, the C42 pilot had elected to conduct their flight without taking the precautions that should be expected when operating close to a military aerodrome with fast-jet traffic.' Taking such precautions, the board said, 'could have resolved this situation before exposing all the pilots involved to an increased risk of collision'.
Daily Mirror
22-04-2025
- Daily Mirror
Gatwick airport crash fear as drone comes within 30ft of 737 jet
The passenger plane was over Bexhill on Sea in east Sussex when the frightening incident took place. It has just been revealed in the report of air accident investigators A drone came within 10m-20m of colliding with a Boeing 737 airliner on its approach to Gatwick Airport, a report reveals. Investigators said it was only due to 'providence' that a more serious incident did not take place. The report on the black object, believed to be a drone, was submitted to the UK Airprox Board, a body that probes aviation near-misses. The passenger plane was coming into land at Gatwick Airport, over Bexhill on Sea in east Sussex, when the incident occurred. Official papers state: 'The B737 pilot reports passing over the south coast, descending into LGW, when the Captain saw a black object (believed to be a drone) in front of the aircraft. "There was no time to take avoiding action and the object passed 10-20m on the right-hand side of the aircraft". The horizontal distance from the plane was around 30ft at its shortest point, while the object was spotted approximately 10 ft above the level the aircraft was flying at. "The pilot reported the near-miss to air traffic control. Airprox Board members ruled: 'The Board considered that providence had played a major part in the incident and/or a definite risk of collision had existed.' The incident in January this year was given an A rating, the most serious risk level. It was reported to Air Traffic Control with the danger of a collision said to be 'high'. Meanwhile, a new ray gun that uses high-frequency radio waves to blast drones out of the sky has been successfully trialled by the Army. Soldiers used the weapon to target and take down swarms of the deadly devices in the largest trial of its type at a firing range in Wales. And the successful trial was hailed a game-changer by defence minister Maria Eagle, who said it could save the country a fortune when it comes to buying weapons. The use of drones is on the rise across the UK, with warnings from police about their use in and around airports and in public spaces. Each blast from the Radiofrequency Directed Energy Weapon (RF DEW) costs just 10p. It could be used alongside existing systems, the Ministry of Defence said after trials last week. Developed and built in the UK, the weapon uses radio waves to damage critical electronic components inside drones, causing them to crash or malfunction. It can fire at drones flying up to 1km away, according to MoD experts. Tests have proven it was capable of hitting multiple targets simultaneously. The army tracked, engaged and defeated more than 100 drones using the weapon. No.10 has invested more than £40million in RF DEW research and development to date. The project supports 135 jobs in Northern Ireland and south-east England. The MoD has previously said the development of RF DEW systems could play a role in preventing disruption at airports.
