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United Airlines flight UA 1513 was arriving at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) when it narrowly avoided colliding with a drone while on final approach Friday afternoon. This has prompted a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigation.
The Boeing 737 was operating a flight from Key West International Airport (EYW) and carrying 106 passengers and five crew members when the incident occurred at approximately 4:20 PM. According to air traffic control audio, the flight crew reported seeing the drone just moments before landing.
“We almost hit a drone,” the pilot told controllers, adding that the unmanned aircraft was “about 100 feet below us.” A second aircraft arriving at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) also reported spotting what appeared to be the same drone at roughly 2,000 feet, which raises further concerns about unauthorized drone activity near one of the nation’s busiest airports.
Drone sightings around airports remain a growing safety concern. The FAA says it receives more than 100 reports of drones operating near airports every month. Unauthorized drone operations near airports can pose a serious risk to aircraft, particularly during takeoff and landing when pilots have little time to react. The agency reminds drone operators that flying near airports without authorization is illegal and can result in substantial civil penalties, criminal charges, and even jail time.
United released the following statement:
United flight 1513 reported a potential drone sighting prior to arriving in Newark. The flight landed safely, and customers deplaned normally at the gate.”
Anthony’s Take: Fortunately, the United flight landed safely with no injuries or damage reported. There is no reason to fly a drone near airports and those who do should be heavily fined.
(Featured Image Credit: United Airlines.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
