This year we saw the first ever plane crash caused by a drone. Now they are becoming a lot more frequent, one possibly happening last week.
It’s believed that a Boeing 737 passenger jetliner hit a drone as it was landing in Tijuana, Mexico. It causes a significant amount of damage to the nose of the plane. See the damage below:
What happened?
Grupo Aeroméxico SAB confirmed the reports. The airline said that Flight 773 from Guadalajara was nearing the airport when the crew suddenly heard a “very strong blow” the the plane. Local reports are speculating that the blow was caused by a drone.
Thankfully no one was hurt. The pilots requested assistance from air traffic control and they were able to land safely.
Investigating the plane crash
However, it’s not confirmed that it was a drone. According the Aeroméxico, the cause is still being investigated. Hopefully we’ll find out what actually caused the damage soon.
The Flight 773 aircraft has been grounded while investigators examine the incident.
These crashes are becoming more frequent
If the damage is confirmed to be caused by a drone, it will add to the growing list of drone/plane collisions. As drones become more mainstream, these kinds of crashes have become more frequent. And close calls are reported regularly in the news.
Thankfully none of these crashes have caused anyone any harm, expect for the planes obviously. But it’s reported that a direct drone strike to airplane wings would do an incredible amount of damage. DJI rejected the study, calling it misleading.
Regardless if drones can cause significant damage to planes, it’s an important topic that must be discussed to prevent any possible damage in the future.
