AV News: UK Gov't Tests Drone Crashes

As long as hobby drones have been on the market, there has been a fear that drone pilots might collide mid-air with airplanes. Now one government is purposely trying to make that collision happen. Our Tyler Mason has the story.

Earlier this year, headlines were made when an airplane near London’s Heathrow Airport spotted what it thought was a drone nearby. Further investigation by the United Kingdom revealed that it wasn’t a drone but was likely a plastic bag. Now the UK government plans to study what impact a potential drone and airplane collision would have. Ministers in the UK have asked a defense technology company to run the tests. The tests will be conducted in 5,000 square miles of restricted airspace over Wales. Dr. Peter Downer of the UK’s Ministry of Defense told the Daily Mail that the plan is to conduct mid-air collisions for the Civil Air Authority.

Testing will included collisions with the drones and the airplane’s windows and fuselage. The cost of the testing is expected to be around £250,000, or $300,000. Earlier this year, the CAA investigated 23 near misses between drones and planes in a six-month period. There are now an estimated 2 million consumer drones in the UK. Last month, the European Aviation Safety Agency released a report that deemed a crash between a drone and an airplane lower than 10,000 feet would result in minimal damage. The latest testing by the UK government hopes to shed more light on the potential risks.

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