A drone almost hit a passenger jet approaching London Gatwick airport in April, UK media reported on Wednesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th August, 2019) A drone almost hit a passenger jet approaching London Gatwick airport in April, UK media reported on Wednesday.An Airbus A320 with 186 passengers on board was flying at the altitude of 1,700 feet when the pilot saw the drone. He had to carry out a banking turn to the right of up to eight degrees and flew at a range of just 80-100 feet past the drone, The Guardian newspaper reported citing the UK Airprox Board (UKAB).
In line with legislation, the permitted height for drones is fixed at 400 feet.
In January, the UKAB said that 120 cases of near misses between planes and drones were registered between December 2017 and December 2018.
In December 2018, Gatwick airport suspended flights over reports that two drones were flying over its airfield. In January, Heathrow airport halted the departure of flights over the same reason.
The incidents drew attention of the authorities, which agreed in March to expand the drone no-fly zone around the airports to 3.1 miles. The administration of the airports reportedly acquired military-grade equipment worth millions of Pounds to ward off the devices.
