Drone hits British Airways flight as plane lands in London

A British Airways flight struck a drone during the aircraft’s descent into London’s Heathrow airport over the weekend, Sky News said recently.

“The pilot reported being hit by an object as the Airbus A320, which took off in Geneva, approached the London hub on Sunday afternoon,” Sky News said. Nobody was hurt and it appears that the plane wasn’t damaged.

Still, it’s a scary thought that someone was operating the unmanned vehicle so close to active airspace. The incident, which is being investigated by local police, could have been easily avoided by a drone operator who was following the law. It also reaffirms why regulations, such as the FAA’s drone registration requirement in the U.S., are so important to understand.

“Our aircraft landed safely, was fully examined by our engineers and it was cleared to operate its next flight,” British Airways said. “Safety and security are always our first priority and we will give the police every assistance with their investigation.”