UPDATED 20/04/2015 Airprox's and Near Misses with Drones are on the rise
We at Hampshire Aerial Photos are quite passionate about Drone Safety, this is not just a job for us, it's a hobby and we love it! So the last thing we want is for someone to spoil it for everyone by causing a serious incident.
We follow a strict set of guidelines in accordance with the UK Civil Aviation Authority Air Navigation Order and whether you're a professional operator or just a hobbyist the same rules apply!
The following is brief summary of some of the near misses that have been happening here in the UK, we share them with you such that you can learn from the mistakes of others and not be another headline.
The information gathered is publicly available and links provided for more information.
| Incident ID / Link to Report | Date | Location | Manned Aircraft | Unmanned Aircraft | Summary | Closest Point of Approach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014073 | 30/05/2014 | 4.25nm SW of Southend Airport | AT72-500 | Unkown Quadcopter | At 1500ft on the approach to Southend Airport the AT72 Co-Pilot reports seeing a quadcopter being flown deliberately close the his aircraft coming within 25m at the same level. | 82ft (25m) |
| 2014118 | 24/07/2014 | Praa Sands, Cornwall | Merlin Helicopter | Unkown UAV / UFO | At 550ft heading towards Culdrose the crew identified a cylindrical object around 50ft above them. The object passed above them. | 50ft (15m) |
| 2014117 | 22/07/2014 | Heathrow Airport | Airbus A320 | Unkown UAV / UFO | At 700ft on the approach to RW09L at Heathrow the pilot reported what appeared to a small radio control helicopter passing 20ft over the wing. | 20ft (6m) |
| 2014187 | 16/09/2014 | 1nm SW of Rochester Airfield | MTO Sport Gyroplane | Unkown UAV | At 1000ft in the circuit positioning for final approach to RW02 they pilot spotted the white delta or boomerang shaped model aircraft at their height (1000ft) and heading straight for them. The pilot immediately banked the aircraft sharply right, and estimated that the model came within 10ft of them. | 10ft (3m) |
| 2014194 | 30/09/2014 | Rackheath, Norwich | Augusta Westland Helicopter | Unkown UAV | At 1000ft on the ILS approach into Norwich the crew saw a UAV in their 10 o'clock position about 50m and immediately broke off the ILS. It was a quadcopter with rotors. | 164ft (50m) |
| TBD | 20/04/2015 | Manchester Airport | TBD | Unkown UAV | A small unmanned aircraft was spotted in the vicinity of Manchester Airport. Investigations are underway | TBD |