- Boeing 777 plane in near-miss with drone while landing at Heathrow
- Pilot spotted the unmanned object when it was lit up by landing lights
- Official investigation found plane would have had ‘no warning’ of drone
- Report by UK Airprox Board ruled collision was avoided by ‘providence’
By JOSEPH CURTIS FOR MAILONLINE- A passenger jet was almost brought down by a drone being flown in pitch black darkness.
The Boeing 777 avoided the aircraft by chance after it was only noticed when it became illuminated by the plane’s landing lights as it approached Heathrow near London.
An investigation into the near-miss found the drone ‘of significant size’ came within just 10ft of the plane.
![]()
A Boeing 777 (file picture) avoided crashing into a drone near Heathrow by chance after it was spotted at night when illuminated by landing lights
It is thought to be the first incident of its kind at night, with the pilot unable to take evasive action because they did not see the unmanned drone until it was too late.
The report by the UK Airprox Board, which investigates near misses and what lessons can be learned from them, said there was no way the pilot would have known it was there.
The report said: ‘There was no prior indication or warning of the object, not would any seem to have been possible, and therefore no opportunity for the pilot to increase separation.
‘Members therefore agreed unanimously that a collision had been avoided purely by providence.’
The pilot reported he thought the drone came ‘very close to the aircraft’ and that nothing showed up on the plane’s radar.
![It is the latest in a series of near misses caused by drones (file picture) flying close to passenger jets at British airports]()
It is the latest in a series of near misses caused by drones (file picture) flying close to passenger jets at British airports
The incident was classed as category A – the highest possible risk without a crash actually occurring.
It is the latest in a series of incidents reported to the UKAB where large aircraft have come into conflict with drones.
Many of them have taken place near Heathrow, while a a drone was mistaken for a bird by the crew of an Airbus 321 landing at Gatwick last November, with the pilot spotting it while just 30ft from touching down.
EYES IN THE SKY: HOW DRONES HAVE CAUSED A SERIES OF NEAR MISSES
The UK Airprox Board has recorded several cases of drones almost causing mid-air crashes with aircraft in the past year.
Many passenger jets have avoided collisions by a matter of feet either by chance or by the pilot spotting the unmanned crafts and taking evasive action.
Here are some of the most notable incidents:
August 12, 2015 – An Airbus 310 approaching landing at Heathrow reported seeing a drone below his aircraft.
October 4, 2015 – The pilot of Boeing 777 reported seeing an unidentified object, likely to be a drone, pass very close to the left-hand side of the aircraft while landing at Heathrow. The object was only visible for a matter of seconds and no risk assessment was made.
October 13, 2015 – The crew of an Airbus 380 reported a 2m-large drone taking evasive action after it was seen around 70m away while climbing to 2000ft upon departure from Heathrow.
November 28, 2015 – An Airbus 319 flying above Richmond Park while coming in to land at Heathrow noticed a drone flying ‘rapidly’ from west to east between 400 and 900ft below the plane. It was decided the drone’s flight path was of ‘no risk’ and the landing continued.
The same day a drone was mistaken for a bird by the crew of an Airbus 321 landing at Gatwick, with the pilot noticing it at 100ft from touchdown but only realising what it was at 30ft from the ground.
There was no collision but the pilot reported there would not have been time to take evasive action.
December 6, 2015 – A drone passed overhead of an Embraer ERJ170 passenger plane by around 100ft while on final approach at London City Airport. Another aircraft following the same landing pattern changed its approach when the incident was flagged up.
The post Drone almost brought down a Boeing 777 passenger jet just after take-off at Heathrow after coming within ten feet of it appeared first on Aviation Gossip.
