London - A passenger jet was hit by a drone above London on Sunday, sparking major concerns over air safety.
The front of a British Airways jet, carrying 132 passengers and five crew, was struck in what is believed to be the first time a drone has hit a commercial plane in British airspace.
The Airbus A320 from Geneva was minutes away from landing at Heathrow when it was hit. The aircraft landed safely.
Metropolitan Police detectives are investigating the strike, which follows a string of near misses in recent months.
Pilots warn that drones – which are too small to appear on air traffic control radar screens – could destroy an airliner’s engine or smash a cockpit windscreen.
Engineers also say a drone’s lithium battery could catch fire if it hit the nose or other softer parts of an aircraft and became embedded.
Tens of thousands of drones, which cost as little as £25 (about R500), have been bought in Britain in the past few years and can be operated
without a licence or registration with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), as long as they are not used for commercial purposes.
The British Airline Pilots Association has called for the Department for Transport and the CAA to back research into the potential risks of collisions with a passenger jet.
Association flight safety specialist Steve Landells, a former RAF and BA pilot, said: “Frankly it was only a matter of time before we had a drone strike given the huge numbers being flown around by amateurs who don’t understand the risks and the rules. Much more education of drone users and enforcement of the rules is needed to ensure our skies remain safe from this threat.”
The BA jet was between five and ten minutes away from landing at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 when it was struck at 12.50pm.
A CAA spokesperson said: “It is totally unacceptable to fly drones close to airports and anyone flouting the rules can face severe penalties including imprisonment.
“Drone users have to understand that when taking to the skies they are potentially flying close to one of the busiest areas of airspace in the world – a complex system that brings together all manner of aircraft, including passenger aeroplanes, military jets, helicopters, gliders and light aircraft. Anyone operating a drone must do so responsibly and observe all relevant rules and regulations.”
The strike is the latest in a string of incidents involving drones in British airspace.
A report last month by the UK Airprox Board (UKAB) found there were 23 near misses between drones and aircraft between April and October last year. They included one on September 22, when a Boeing 777 that had just taken off reported that a drone narrowly passed down its righthand side.
Investigators concluded that the drone was at the same height and within 80ft of the jet. A report was made to police but the drone operator was not traced.
Days later, a drone was flown within yards of an Airbus A319 landing at Heathrow. The jet was flying at 500ft and was on its final approach when the drone was spotted.
Commercial airline pilot Mike Wood said drones were becoming a growing problem.
“A drone could cause an engine failure if flown into it,” he said. “That’s obviously a concern, though airlines are able to fly on one engine. There is a real danger if one hit a light aircraft which could cause a crash.”
Philippa Oldham, from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, told the BBC last month that the risk would depend on several factors, such as the size and speed of the drone and the location of the collision.
“The impact potentially could be anything from nothing to a destruction of an engine,” she said.
Tony Tyler, of the International Air Transport Association, said: “We cannot allow [drones] to be a hindrance or safety threat to commercial aviation. There is no denying that there is a real and growing threat to the safety of civilian aircraft.”
A Heathrow spokesperson said on Sunday night: “BA flight 727 from Geneva reported being struck by an unknown object as it entered its final approach towards Heathrow. The aircraft landed safely at Terminal 5.
“The safety and security of our operation is our absolute priority and we are working with British Airways and the Met police who are carrying out a full investigation.”
A BA spokesperson added: “Our aircraft landed safely, was fully examined by our engineers and it was cleared to operate its next flight.
“Safety and security are always our first priority and we will give the police every assistance with their investigation.”
Daily Mail