Drone-aircraft close calls on the upswing
241 near-collisions reported, some flying within 50 feet
By Joan Lowy Associated Press
WASHINGTON — There has yet to be a confirmed U.S. collision between
a drone and a manned aircraft, but there have been a growing number of
close calls as drones fly where they least belong
— near airports.
A report released Friday counted at least 241 reports of close
encounters between drones and manned aircraft that meet the Federal
Aviation Administration’s definition of a near-collision, including 28
incidents in which pilots had to veer out of the way.
The analysis by Bard College’s Center for the Study of the Drone
found that 90 of the close drone encounters involved commercial jets.
The FAA defines a near-collision as two aircraft flying within 500
feet of each other. In 51 of the incidents studied, the
drone-to-aircraft clearance was 50 feet or less, the report said.
Most of the sightings occurred within 5 miles of an airport and at
altitudes higher than 400 feet. Those are spaces in which the FAA
prohibits drones from flying, raising questions about the rules’
effectiveness.
The cities with the most incidents were New York/ Newark, N.J., 86;
Los Angeles, 39; Miami, 24; Chicago, 20; Boston, 20; San Jose, Calif.,
19; Washington, 19; Atlanta, 17; Seattle, 17; San Diego, 14; Orlando,
Fla., 13; Houston, 12; Portland, Ore., 12; Dallas/Fort Worth, 11; and
Denver, 10.
The report is based on an analysis of government records detailing
921 incidents involving drones and manned aircraft between Dec. 17,
2013, and Sept. 12, 2015. Researchers cautioned that it’s hard for
pilots to judge their distance from another object when flying at high
speeds.
The majority of the incidents, 64 percent, were sightings of drones
in the vicinity of other aircraft with no immediate threat of collision.
The FAA has previously released data on reports of drone sightings,
but the Bard report is the first comprehensive analysis of the sightings
by researchers outside the aviation community.
The agency’s findings are likely to fuel more debate over how much
of a threat drones are to manned aircraft as the government struggles
with how to reap the benefits of unmanned aircraft without undermining
safety.
Reports of drones flying where they aren’t supposed to have
increased dramatically. In May 2014, 10 incidents were reported to the
FAA; in May of this year, there were 100 incidents.
The FAA confirmed to the report’s authors that the trend has
continued, with 127 incidents in September and 137 incidents in October.
“It’s hard to say if or when there might be a drone crash, but
certainly we’ve seen an increase in the number of reports and an
increase in the number of close counters,” said Dan Gettinger,
co-director of the drone center.
Government and industry officials have expressed concern that if a
drone — much like a bird — is sucked into an aircraft engine, smashes a
cockpit windshield or damages a critical aircraft surface area, it could
cause an air crash.
“With sufficient speed, bird strikes have been known to penetrate
the cockpit,” the report said. “It’s entirely possible, then, that a
drone could also break through into a cockpit, potentially causing
serious harm to the pilots or other occupants.”
Helicopter blades are considered especially vulnerable. Thirty-eight
of the near collisions identified by researchers involved helicopters.
Aircraft engine manufacturers currently test the ability of engines
to withstand bird strikes by firing dead birds at the engines at high
velocities. The FAA hasn’t yet said when it will require engine-makers
to conduct tests with drones, but officials have unofficially
acknowledged they are working on the issue, the report said.
The report cited research by engineers at Virginia Tech in
Blacksburg, Va., that used data on bird strikes to create computer
simulations of drones striking planes in order to identify the riskiest
impact locations.
They concluded that hobby drones weighing between 2 pounds and 6
pounds “can potentially cause critical damage.”
The FAA is in the process of finalizing rules for the use of
commercial drones weighing less than 55 pounds.
The agency is also expected to shortly issue rules requiring the
registration of small drones, including those used by hobbyists, in an
effort to help create a “culture of responsibility” among drone operators.
--
*================================================ Duane Whittingham -
N9SSN (ARES/RACES, EmComm, Skywarn & Red Cross)
http://www.radiodude.info ================================================*
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