A British Airways Airbus A320 carrying up to 180 passengers narrowly avoided colliding with an illegally operated drone while approaching Heathrow Airport, with the device passing within an estimated 50 feet of the aircraft near the airspace above Windsor Castle.
The incident occurred at 1,300 feet as the jet descended from Florence, prompting the crew to alert air traffic control and warn other incoming flights.
Investigators classified the event, which happened on 9 May, as the most serious type of near miss, concluding there was a genuine risk of collision, while noting the drone was flying unlawfully within Windsor’s restricted airspace and well above the legal altitude limit.
Despite the danger, the operator was never identified, adding to ongoing concerns over drones posing a significant threat to commercial aviation.
Image credit: The Blowup
