Study Blames Drones for Two-Thirds of Close Calls With Airliners

A recent analysis claims that drones are responsible for up to two-thirds of near-misses with commercial aircraft at America’s busiest airports. The FAA has taken steps to avoid these events, but the spike in unauthorized drone flights certainly is not aiding their cause.

Drone-related near-misses have been reported for over a decade, since around the same time that the devices started becoming commonplace. Since 2014, 51% of near-miss events have listed drones as the cause, making them responsible for 122 incidents. The number of reports last peaked in 2020 as air traffic hit a low point.

There have been several recent high-profile near-misses involving drones, many being a little too close for comfort. In November, a commercial jet on final approach to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) spotted a drone ahead. It was unable to “take evasive action,” the crew said, and was forced to watch as the drone passed just a couple hundred feet off the nose.

Shortly earlier, in August, a drone came within 50 feet of the left wing of an airliner that was departing New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR). Another ‘close encounter’ was reported by a jetliner near Miami International Airport (MIA), and countless more since.

In the US, drones are restricted to flying in the airspace below 400 feet above ground level (AGL) to keep a 100-foot buffer from most manned aircraft. This altitude restriction drops lower, or even to zero, in certain controlled airspace or no-fly zones.

In theory, this ceiling would keep most unmanned activities separate from manned aircraft. However, with how accessible drones have become, many remote pilots are unaware of airspace-specific requirements and may unintentionally put themselves in the direct path of landing aircraft. The fact that popular drone manufacturers, like DJI, have removed their ‘geofencing systems’ that used to help controllers avoid airspace restrictions does not aid the situation.

The FAA is looking at various methods that could potentially lower the frequency of these incidents, but there is no guarantee that it will be effective or soon enough to prevent something more than a near-miss.

FMI: www.faa.gov