“Zero” Distance Drone Near Miss with Manchester Flight

THE “Zero” distance drone near miss was recorded with a Manchester flight to Athens in September.

The investigation revealed that the drone had flown so close to the Airbus A320 aircraft that was flying at 8,000ft at the time of the incident, that it was recorded as “zero” separation distance. This gave the highest level of risk, as there was a distinct possibility that the drone and plane would collide.

The incident took place on September 4 and occurred shortly after take-off. A spokesperson for EasyJet commented that “EasyJet recognises the growing popularity of drones and therefore welcomes efforts by EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency), the CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) and other regulators across Europe, which govern regulation in this area, to take this issue seriously and ensure that the correct measures and regulations are put in place to ensure the safety of aviation is not compromised.”

Changes to the law made in March 2019, mean that drones are not allowed to fly within 3.1 miles of an airport, previously this was less than 1 mile. In the last few years issues with drones have caused 1000’s of flights to be cancelled. Drones are gaining in popularity especially as they become more affordable.

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