According to the FAA, a Bombardier CRJ-200 passenger jet, like the one shown here with a capacity of 50 passengers, nearly collided with a drone on March 22, 2014, in Florida.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the incident took place on March 22, 2014, and involved U.S. Airways Flight 4650 flying from Charlotte, N.C., to Tallahassee, Fla.
According to Jim Williams, head of the FAA’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) office, the pilot said the drone appeared to be small, camouflaged, remotely piloted and about 2,300 feet up in the air at the time of the incident.
“The pilot said the UAS was so close to his jet that he was sure he had collided with it,” Williams said. “Thankfully, inspection to the airliner after landing found no damage. But this may not always be the case.”
The pilot reported the small UAS involved looked similar to an F-4 Phantom jet. Such planes have gas turbine engines and can fly higher than an average drone, according to the FAA. Neither the drone in this case, nor its pilot, has been identified.
Image courtesy of U.S. Airways.
