Drone Sightings Update

The FAA in late February released an updated list of reports detailing sightings of unmanned aircraft systems, or drones. The sightings were reported by pilots, air traffic controllers, law enforcement personnel and citizens concerned the drones posed the threat of potential collisions or other encounters with the drones. The latest data covers February through September 2016, and includes a sharp increase-1274 new reports compared with 874 for the same period in 2015.

Friday, March 10, 2017 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

FAA data reveals a sharp increase in drone sighting reports by pilots, though no collisions with civil aircraft have been verified; the agency reiterates warnings against unsafe operations and offers the B4UFLY app.
The FAA issued a Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) alerting pilots to a potential for fatigue cracking and failure of main landing gear drag link bolts on Piper PA-23 Apache and Aztec aircraft.
A Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) reminds all pilots to exercise caution and maintain awareness to prevent unintended incursions into or excursions out of Class B airspace.
Pilots are advised to be vigilant for Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs), particularly presidential ones, and to monitor the Guard frequency (121.5 MHz) to avoid military intercepts, as demonstrated by a recent supersonic F-15 intercept.

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The FAA in late February released an updated list of reports detailing sightings of unmanned aircraft systems, or drones. The sightings were reported by pilots, air traffic controllers, law enforcement personnel and citizens concerned the drones posed the threat of potential collisions or other encounters with the drones. The latest data covers February through September 2016, and includes a sharp increase—1274 new reports compared with 874 for the same period in 2015.

The data released by the agency include several reports of pilots claiming drone strikes on their aircraft. To date, however, the FAA has not verified any collision between a civil aircraft and a civil drone. The agency stated, “Every investigation has found the reported collisions were either birds, impact with other items such as wires and posts, or structural failure not related to colliding with an unmanned aircraft.”