A British Airways jet had an alarming near-miss with a drone just 1,300 feet above Windsor Castle. The A320 aircraft, carrying 180 passengers, was making its descent from Florence to Heathrow when a co-pilot identified what he described as a “small blue drone,” according to a new report from the Airprox Board Thursday. The device in the sky was later confirmed to be a drone by the Airprox Board. Air traffic control acted quickly, immediately notifying nearby flights of the illegally operated device in the sky. Considering the area’s strict no-fly zone, the speed at which the aircraft was traveling, and the proximity at which the drone approached the plane, the Airprox Board identified the May 9 encounter as a Category A incident, its most severe rating. The person operating the drone has not been identified, but may face a sentence of up to five years’ prison time for interfering with and endangering an aircraft. There were no reported casualties or damages to the vehicle following the incident.
Read it at British Airways
