‘Near miss’ between plane and drone

Air safety chiefs have investigated the first near miss between a passenger plane and a drone near England’s Heathrow Airport, amid fears that drones could pose a danger to commercial flights.

The UK Airprox Board, which will publish its findings on Friday, is expected to record an incident risk rating of A — the highest of five categories — defined as a “serious risk of collision”.

The report, seen by the The Sunday Times, said the pilot of the Airbus A320 spotted the drone, which failed to show up on air traffic control systems, at 2.16pm on July 22 while flying at an altitude of over 200m.

The pilot reported the incident to the UKAB who launched an inquiry,but the owner of the drone has never been identified.

The Airbus A320 is a short-haul jet which can carry 180 passengers and is commonly used by European airlines.

Earlier this year, airline pilots’ association Balpa demanded better protection for the public against the risks of drones.

It wants drones, officially known as Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems, which share airspace with passenger and freight airliners, to meet the same safety standards as piloted aircraft. It includes only being flown by operators with pilot-equivalent training.

Balpa general secretary Jim McAuslan said: “The UK should become a ‘safe drone zone’.”