Was it a drone? British airways flight

[sar104]

Well, that MF you probably could see at 500m with a 200knt approach speed... And it would cause enormous damage...

What clearly is missing is any attempt to educate the public on the range of aircraft types and sizes covered by the generic term "drone". That is the major criticism that I would level at most of the news outlets in their coverage of this event. However, if you deal with the media much, you will be aware that attention to detail is not their strong suit.

 

[Slow Polk]

Does England not have a NFZ? I know we do and I can't even start my P3 within that 5 miles of a Air Port. So how much more do they think will help? Drones like guns in the hands of people who are irresponsible are dangerous. Fortunately we have the 2nd ament to protect our gun rights. I think the best thing we can do is monitor ourselves and when we see some idiot who is doing something that dumb stop him. The news media is not on our side and that need to be changed. When I see a report that is biased against drones I call the producer and point out where they may be wrong. Dose that make a difference, no, but I keep calling in hopes of getting some common sense will stick. When I talk to friends and neighbors about drones I point all the good things we can do with them to help people. If we all put a positive spin on the hobby maybe we can change the minds of the masses. Let's hope.

 

[m0j0]

Where is the quad? I call bs until the produce it.


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[sar104]

Where is the quad? I call bs until the produce it.

If the collision occurred, as reported, at around 2000' AGL, then the probability of finding the remains of whatever hit the aircraft is probably not that high.

 

[m0j0]

Well it's a sketchy unproven incident until they produce some evidence that the plane actually struck a quad. I won't accept it as true until the release some...any... Credible evidence that it a quad.


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[volace]

Do you think if the investigation reveals that the incident was not related to a drone, and it was just a duck or a swan , are they going to put this as headlines, like they did when they blame the drone ?

I think the damage happened already , we have to admit guys , our lovely drones has bad reputation , it is mentally associated with killing , spying , and now endangering airliners.
We need to prove that we are good people that happened to love these toys and flying them for fun responsible like driving our cars.


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[4proppilot]

There will always be trouble makers in every part of everywhere. This is just another strike against legit drone operators.


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[4proppilot]

Is there 100% evidence that it was a drone and not a bird?


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[bighi]

It could have been a weather balloon or maybe even swamp gas.

 

[Erised]

It is beleived that he may have hit a drone. The news makes a headline 《aircraft hit by drone》 It din't even make a dent in the plane and it is cleared to fly. 200 mph plane hits 2 pound drone and dosn't even make a dent? (just numbers that could be here) Not cool if it is a drone but the media are always looking for the bad, where is the news that a drone found the lost old man.

 

[4proppilot]

Swamp is more the outcome. Bloody swamp gas...........


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[bighi]

While anybody who flies a drone anywhere near airspace like Heathrow ought to have his or her brain checked, i've just about had it with the media on any subject matter. They have very little credibility left. What it has become is a badly biased twisted source of misinformation. Nothing more.

 

[4proppilot]

Could have been some enthusiast getting over confident with his surroundings. Another thing too, it could be setup to specifically discredit drones and their usage. Yay just never know these days.


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[RocketBrew]

On NBC Nightly News tonight.
They show video simulation from "Virginia Tech Researchers" showing how an 8-pound drone can destroy a jet engine. Lots of those flying around out there!
They also play a clip from a pilot reporting a drone passing over them at 4,000 feet!
Drone Crashes Into Passenger Jet, Highlighting a Growing Danger - NBC News

 

[Paul Schulze]

No matter what the BBC reports, if true or not, it gets politician's underwear in a wad. The drone community needs some sort of lobby to fight for our rights to fly or we may loose our privileges.

 

[Seawolf]

Where's the proof there was a collision?

 

[dewster]

I had a sick feeling watching my hexacopter falling from the sky because of a broken prop. I can't imagine how I'd feel causing an incident where lives are affected.

There are more crazies and idiots than you can imagine.


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[Phantomfreak]

A 2 pound drone hits a plane doing what must be over 150 mph and does no damage? No, I don't think so.. Those old enough to remember know what a 2 pound chunk of foam insulation can do to the space shuttle.. and where is the wreckage of the drone? Or did that fly away with no damage either..

 

[DrJoe]

If it was a drone, and it didn't crack a fiberglass radome, or bend any aluminum, it won't go through a windshield either. Kinda stupid to say it's a drone if there is no evidence.

 

[ablythe]

This is true Al and because historically model airplane [proper] pilots flew responsibly and respectfully in reserved or otherwise controlled locations and conditions. So if it wasn't a bird then it most likely was a sUAS (multirotor) being flown carelessly or in the way so many of us have heard and read about.

Not sure if you're new to the rc airplane hobby (assuming by your post count not). But there is an entire subculture of those "proper" model airplane pilots who were putting cameras on their planes and using ham frequencies to fly at altitudes WAY above and beyond what multirotors fly long before this new era of "drones". Not to mention the endless videos on youtube of people sending various objects into the stratosphere via weather balloons. I'd say there are a plethora of options as to what the commercial plane could have hit. It is a dangerous (to our hobby) line of thinking to fall in line with the media feed of "drone first" ask questions/investigate later...