'Just a matter of time' before drone accident brings down a plane, says ex-commercial pilot

Wednesday, 7 March 2018

Many in the aviation sector fear a drone-strike could cause a deadly tragedy on a commercial flight.

It could be just a matter of time before a drone causes a fatal plane crash, a former commercial pilot has warned in the wake of a drone causing widespread flight delays at Auckland Airport.

In the worst-case scenario, that could mean disabling a big twin-jet commercial plane, Air Line Pilots' Association senior technical officer Dave Reynolds said.

Dave Reynolds of the Air Line Pilots' Association says the worst-case scenario would be if a drone disabled a big twin-jet passenger plane.

If a drone ripped through the jet propulsion system, or pierced the armoured windscreen and injured a pilot, it could trigger a fatal crash.

'If the aircraft became disabled, and it happened at a low-level and the engine disintegrated, it could be catastrophic.'

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Although unlikely, these disaster scenarios were still 'not inconceivable', Reynolds said.

Pilots are required to report drone sightings in their vicinity in both controlled and uncontrolled airspace to Airways, the national air navigation service.

On Tuesday a drone being flown near Auckland Airport forced about 20 approaching flights to delay their landings, with one flight from Japan diverted to Ohakea.

Responding to the expensive delays, Air New Zealand chief operations integrity and standards officer Captain David Morgan said drone use around airports was recklessly putting the safety of the travelling public at risk.

The Auckland incident has renewed the Pilots' Association's ongoing calls for all drone pilots to be registered and licensed.

CAA spokeswoman Philippa Lagan said the agency shared the Pilots' Association's concerns about drone pilots either flouting or being unaware of the civil aviation rules around UAVs, or unmanned aerial vehicles.

'We are working with other agencies and developing campaigns to raise UAV pilots' awareness of - and educate them about - flying their UAVs safely.'

The agency is reviewing rules around flying UAVs safely, and will be taking into account the views of all interested parties, including the Pilots' Association.

Lagan said the agency was continuing to work with police and exploring all avenues to find the operator involved in Tuesday's incident in Auckland.

Figures released by the CAA under the Official Information Act show a monthly breakdown of 300 drone incidents over 2017, many of them around airports.

The authority did not prosecute anyone over the incidents, but some enforcement action was taken.

DRONE INCIDENTS REPORTED TO CAA IN 2017

January: Drone operates about 300 metres below a passenger plane approaching Queenstown Airport.

February: Police notified after property owner shoots at drone flying over property at Dairy Flat, near Auckland.

April: Operator in Raglan alleged to have stalked locals with drone camera.

April: Drone has near-miss with low-flying surveying aircraft in rural Waikato.

July: Near-miss with tourist helicopter flying around Auckland harbour. Drone came within 30m of it.

August: Pilot flying out of Auckland Airport reports drone near-miss.

October: Drone nearly clips helicopter rotor at Huka Falls, forcing pilot to take evasive action.

October: Drone flies near plane approaching Wellington Airport while flying at about 1500m.

December: Drone reported operating next to Hawke's Bay Prison.