A United Airlines passenger jet had a close encounter with a drone while landing at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey on Friday. The pilot reported that the drone, described as circular and roughly 3 feet wide, was about 100 feet below the plane.
Incident Under Investigation
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the incident, which occurred at around 5:20 p.m. EDT. The Boeing 737, carrying 106 passengers and five crew members from Key West, Florida, landed safely around 5:30 p.m. EDT.
Another pilot flying into Newark on a United Express flight also reported seeing a drone at roughly 2,000 feet. The FAA prohibits the use of drones in controlled airspaces or near manned aircraft without official permission.
There are around 100 drone sightings a month near U.S. airports, according to the FAA. However, collisions are rare, with only eight reports of pilots taking action to avoid a drone and one report of a drone crashing on a runway.
Original reporting: WESH Orlando — read the source article.
