Drones Linked To Most Near Midair Collisions At 30 Us Airports: Report

[Kale Carey]

DRONES ARE CREATING CLOSER CALLS IN U.S. AIRSPACE—ESPECIALLY NEAR MAJOR AIRPORTS.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ANALYZED NEAR MIDAIR COLLISIONS AT THE 30 BUSIEST AIRPORTS LAST YEAR AND FOUND DRONES WERE INVOLVED IN NEARLY TWO-THIRDS OF THEM. MANY OF THESE CLOSE CALLS HAPPENED DURING TAKEOFF OR LANDING—INCLUDING ONE IN SAN FRANCISCO, WHERE A DRONE CAME WITHIN 300 FEET OF A COMMERCIAL COCKPIT.

THE FAA ESTIMATES MORE THAN A MILLION DRONES ARE OPERATING NATIONWIDE. MOST ARE SUBJECT TO AIRSPACE RULES, BUT HOBBYISTS AND COMMERCIAL USERS STILL VIOLATE THOSE LIMITS—INTENTIONALLY OR NOT.

THE FAA IS CRACKING DOWN BY REQUIRING MOST DRONES TO REGISTER AND CARRY TRANSPONDERS THAT SHARE LOCATION DATA. IT’S ALSO TESTING COUNTERMEASURES—INCLUDING JAMMERS, MICROWAVES, AND LASERS—TO DISABLE DRONES NEAR SENSITIVE AREAS.

IN SOME CASES, OFFICIALS HAVE TRACKED DOWN VIOLATORS USING DRONE SIGNALS. LAST YEAR, BOSTON POLICE ARRESTED TWO MEN FOR FLYING NEAR LOGAN AIRPORT. IN ANOTHER CASE, A DRONE STRUCK A FIREFIGHTING PLANE IN CALIFORNIA—DAMAGING THE WING AND FORCING IT TO GROUND. THE OPERATOR LATER PLEADED GUILTY TO FEDERAL CHARGES.

NASA IS WORKING ON A CLOUD-BASED TRAFFIC SYSTEM FOR DRONES. CALLED U-T-M, IT HELPS OPERATORS SHARE FLIGHT PLANS AND AVOID MID-AIR CONFLICTS. DRONE DELIVERY COMPANIES LIKE ZIPLINE AND WING USE IT TO COORDINATE ROUTES IN CITIES LIKE DALLAS.

MEANWHILE, DRONE MAKER DJI RECENTLY REMOVED AUTOMATIC GEOFENCING. THE COMPANY SAYS MILLIONS OF EXEMPTION REQUESTS MADE THE SYSTEM UNSUSTAINABLE. DRONES NOW GIVE PILOTS WARNINGS—BUT DON’T ENFORCE BARRIERS.

AVIATION OFFICIALS SAY ALTHOUGH REPORTING TOOLS EXIST, MANY DRONE VIOLATIONS GO UNDETECTED.

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