Near collision with drone during approach to London City Airport

Casualties unknown • 6 NM E des Flughafens London City EGLC, CH

An Avro 146-RJ100 aircraft narrowly avoided a collision with a yellow drone while on approach to London City Airport.

What happened

On 19 June 2016, a scheduled flight operated by Swiss Global Air Lines, flight LX456, was performing an instrument approach to London City Airport (EGLC) from Zurich (LSZH). The aircraft, an Avro 146-RJ100 with registration HB-IYT, was carrying 87 passengers and 4 crew members.

As the aircraft was aligned with the localizer for runway 27, approximately 6 nautical miles from the runway threshold, the pilot monitoring identified a flying object. The object, identified as a yellow-colored drone, was observed crossing the flight path at an altitude of approximately 3,000 feet AMSL, passing within roughly 20 meters of the aircraft. Despite the close proximity, the flight crew continued the approach and landed the aircraft safely. No immediate radio notification was made to the Thames Radar control center regarding the encounter.

The investigation

The Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (SUST) examined the circumstances of the encounter, noting that the incident occurred under good visual meteorological conditions. The investigation reviewed the timing of the detection and the lack of immediate communication to air traffic services. The board also analyzed broader trends regarding unmanned aircraft (UA) interference in the vicinity of London airports, noting a significant rise in air proximity hazards involving drones.

Findings

  • The drone was detected at a very late stage in the approach.
  • Due to the small size of the unmanned aircraft, it was difficult to identify visually until it was in close proximity.
  • The drone's proximity was so close that an evasive maneuver would likely have been impossible had a collision course been established.
  • Existing collision warning devices were unable to detect the drone at a sufficient distance to allow for timely reaction.

Safety action

To improve flight safety, the investigation recommends that pilots promptly transmit radio messages, similar to a pilot weather report (PIREP), when encountering unmanned aircraft to alert other flight crews. Furthermore, the implementation of measures to ensure drones can be detected via radar and onboard collision warning systems at an early stage is considered imperative.

Probable cause

The near collision was caused by the late detection of a small, yellow drone that crossed the aircraft's flight path at a very close distance, a situation exacerbated by the fact that the drone's size prevented early detection by standard onboard collision warning systems.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 2016-06-19 BRITISH AEROSPACE (REGIONAL AIRCRAFT) LTD AVRO 146-RJ100 accident near 6 NM E des Flughafens London City EGLC, CH?

An Avro 146-RJ100 aircraft narrowly avoided a collision with a yellow drone while on approach to London City Airport.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 2016-06-19 involved a BRITISH AEROSPACE (REGIONAL AIRCRAFT) LTD AVRO 146-RJ100, registration HB-IYT, at 6 NM E des Flughafens London City EGLC, CH.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The near collision was caused by the late detection of a small, yellow drone that crossed the aircraft's flight path at a very close distance, a situation exacerbated by the fact that the drone's size prevented early detection by standard onboard collision warning systems.

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