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:

The FAA reported a sharp increase in drone sightings in 2016, though no collisions between civil aircraft and drones have been verified, with the agency warning of illegal operations and offering the B4UFLY app for safe flying guidance.
A Special Airworthiness Information Bulletin (SAIB) was issued for Piper PA-23 models regarding potential fatigue failure of main landing gear drag link bolts, which could lead to gear collapse.
The FAA's Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) advises pilots to exercise caution, maintain vigilance, and understand Class B airspace boundaries to prevent incursions or excursions.
Pilots are reminded to be aware of Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) and monitor the Guard frequency (121.5 MHz) after a NORAD F-15 intercept of an unresponsive aircraft near a TFR.

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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.”