Posted on 06/27/2026 9:20:14 AM PDT by Libloather
A United Airlines jet nearly smashed into a drone as it was landing on the Newark runway Friday, officials said.
The crew narrowly avoided the unmanned aircraft during its descent around 4:20 p.m., according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
“We almost hit a drone,” the pilot can be heard saying in air traffic control audio verified by CNN.
The circular and three-foot-wide device was only “about 100 feet below us.”
Another pilot flying into Newark on a separate plane also reported seeing the drone at roughly 2,000 feet, additional audio shows.
The United Airlines Boeing 737 was carrying 106 passengers and 5 crew members from Key West, Florida.
“United flight 1513 reported a potential drone sighting prior to arriving in Newark. The flight landed safely, and customers deplaned normally at the gate,” United said in a statement.
The FAA is investigating the incident.
The federal agency receives more than 100 drone-sighting reports near airports each month, which can cause dangerous consequences.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
AVIATION PING!.............
If it hits the wings or fuselage, tail section etc the danger is very slight. If an engine ingests a drone there is a very high probability of a turbine failure and disintegration of the engine. If the drone were carrying a pound of steel it is certain.
Not to play, I’ll up you,” I have s true story.
A long time ago, I was flying an approach to EWR.
With only about a mile to go I saw a seagull, in front of me, trying to avoid hitting us. He was, “yanking and banking,” to avoid us. IIt hit just below the Co Pilot’s window. There was a noise when we hit it but no other problem.
As I landed, there was a smell in the cockpit and, I’m sure the cabin. The bird had hit the nose, a slat on the wing and been sucked into the engine on the right side of the tail. (B727)
What had happened was the bird was consumed by the engine and the heat “cooked” it and it became part of the Air conditioning system which uses ambient air the is compressed before being cycled to a cooler temperature.
On the post landing walk around inspection, we could trace the path of the Gull into the engine.
NOTE: Drones are not to be flown higher than 400 feet above the local elevation!
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