Yet another incident

[oakmeadows]

American Airlines pilot spots drone as plane lands at Miami International Airport | Fox News

Obviously the UAV didn't belong there, and no doubt responsible people will be paying the price with future restrictions because of Jackass's like this.

Another made up story by the press


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[JTC]

Regardless of what a drone can do to an airplane, after reading the actual FAA reports from last summer, I can simply no longer take pilot sightings at face value. If you take away unrealistic visual ranges, unrealistic altitudes/speeds/locations and reports which clearly were other manned aircraft (like the white high wing monoplane "drone" on approach to KPAE and squawking 1200!), there isn't much left, kind of like the ASRS report from November where the drone had four balloons on top. This particular article was even more light on details. When and if it shows up in ASRS, I'll take a look at the report. I tend to put a little more credence into helicopter pilot reports because the relative speeds are lower and because they are actually operating in the same airspace where drones are operating, although distance and size and other visual estimates are still a problem for them and as we saw with the helicopter bird strike in LA a little while ago, they get it horribly wrong too.

Sen. Nelson wants coordinated drone safety policy
By Ledyard King, Gannett
Jan 16, 2016
WASHINGTON – The growing use of drones is adding to safety concerns, and Sen. Bill Nelson wants the Obama administration to do something about it.

The Florida Democrat is asking heads of four federal agencies to work together to mitigate safety risks associated with unmanned aerial vehicles.

A report issued last month by the Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College found at least 241 close calls – in which a drone came within 500 feet of an aircraft -- in cities across the U.S. In 158, or 65.6 percent, of the incidents, the drone came within 200 feet, and in 51 incidents it came within 50 feet.

The analysis was based on a review of government records from Dec.17, 2013, to Sept. 12, 2015

Two of the cities with most “close encounters” were in Florida. Miami ranked fourth with 24 reported incidents, and Orlando ranked 11th with 13 reported incidents.

Nelson made the request in a letter sent Thursday to the heads of NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Defense Department and the Homeland Security Department. He is top Democrat on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, which oversees NASA and the FAA.

“Each incident of a [drone] sighted near an airport runway, or used to smuggle contraband over a prison wall, reminds us that this technology poses another kind of threat,” Nelson wrote. “I ask that your agencies increase collaboration to mitigate the risk.”

NASA’s Ames Research Center also is reportedly developing ways to manage drone traffic, and the Pentagon and DHS continue to learn from their experiences operating drones overseas and along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Nelson says he wants the four agencies to join forces and leverage their collective expertise to address the challenges and threats associated with the increased use of drones

The writing is on the wall. We need to contact our legislators and express our concerns and offer constructive solutions. I will draft a letter to Senator Bill Nelson as he "represents" my district.