Aircrafts and drone incidents have had a startlingly aggressive number increase over the years. This is a terrifying statistic, as one single drone has the capability of endangering the lives of hundreds, if not thousands of people. You have a lot of factors to worry about.
Mid-air Collision Risks
First, a drone colliding with a passenger plane can damage the exterior. Worst-case scenario, the plane goes down. This one incident can risk the lives of the people onboard, not to mention the staff and pilot crew as well. An even worst-case scenario is also possible after this. After we consider the plane itself, we now look beyond them. The area a plane crashes into may be a very populated area. This can be in the heart of a city, or at a suburban neighborhood. No matter where a plane lands, there is sure to be damage and catastrophe.
To prevent this event, airports have a 1-kilometer ban on drone activity. This helps prevent any drone from coming close to an aircraft, especially at a busy air space. For drones entering the area however, the next step is detection. Luckily, most incidents involving loaded airplanes and drones has a watchful staff onboard that see these drone risks. For the most part, the crew on board, or the people at the airport can spot a drone and warn the pilots. The plane can then reroute its course, hopefully to dodge any direct contact with the flying drone.
The Problem with Aircraft Flight
However, most of these airport incidents often have the same theme. The planes in question are on route to their landing destinations, and are therefore low on fuel themselves. For them to create evasive maneuvers it requires excess fuel and sometimes that is not possible. In that scenario, pilots and planes mostly rely on sheer luck to avoid hitting the wayward drone.
That is why it is always a good thing to keep an eye on your drone while in flight. While it may not be intentional, a drone flying randomly can create havoc to other aircrafts. Of course, it is also important to follow drone guidelines, especially where you can and cannot fly.
