Drones are pretty cool objects. I think the power to fly around like a bird all in the palm of your hands is a very interesting thing. But, they've been subject to really heavy regulation in recent years. Legislators are aware that they can be misused quite easily, and can also be dangerous without even meaning to be.
And one such dangerous case happened Wednesday, April 29. According to the New York Post, a United Airlines Boeing 737 experienced a pretty terrifying event. The plane, which was going from San Francisco to San Diego, hit an "object" while coming in at around 3,000 feet on its approach to America's Finest City.
Audio released on social media shows the moment that the pilot called in what had happened to air traffic control. He explained that the plane had "hit a drone" at around 3,000 feet. When he was prompted for more info, he said the object was "so small". He added it had a "red" and "shiny" appearance.
Luckily, no one was injured in the incident. Either way, it's pretty chilling to think about what could have happened if that drone was just a few feet closer to a turbine, for example.
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But, there shouldn't really be too much reason to fret. That's because the vast majority of people play by the rules when it comes to their mechanical birds. In fact, the first ever drone-plane collision happened back in 2017. And, not many have been recorded since then.
The New York Post reported on the incident when it first happened back in October of that year. Canadian Transport Minister at the time, Marc Garneau, revealed that there was a collision between a drone and a plane at Jean Lesage International Airport in Québec City. In a statement, he explained that the Skyjet plane was only minorly damaged. It was hit by the drone at around 1,500 feet.
He added that "this should not have happened... that drone should not have been there." He also said that things "could have been so much more serious" if the drone had hit other spots on the plane.
