UAS flies dangerously close to passenger jet approaching airport in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS. Video evidence has surfaced of an unmanned aircraft system (UAS), commonly referred to as a drone, flying exceeding close to a Frontier Airlines commercial passenger jet as it approaches McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials are investigating the latest incident in a growing problem of UAS activity near airports, which is illegal. The activity, being condemned by industry, highlights the need for a high-tech solution at airports and other critical locales.

Recreational operators are required to give notice for flights within five miles of an airport to both the airport operator and air traffic control (ATC) tower, if the airport has a tower. However, recreational operations are not permitted in Class B airspace around most major airports without specific air traffic permission and coordination, according to the FAA.

Many in the aerospace community are condemning the UAS activity, and others are encouraging the use of technology to thwart reckless and illegal use of UAS in and around airports.

Officials at DroneShield Ltd (ASX:DRO), a provider of unmanned aircraft system (UAS) detection and mitigation products, described the disturbingly close flight maneuver as a dive-bomb and listed more, equally concerning, near-misses.

Recent incidents involving UAS and manned aircraft include:

• A drone struck a passenger Boeing plane descending over theme park in Argentina.
• A drone hit a commercial aircraft in Canada.
• A drone and an airliner collided in Canada.
• The Ben Gurion Airport in Israel halted traffic as a drone was spotted shortly after the United States Vice President Mike Pence disembarked from Air Force Two at the airport during a state visit.
• A man in New Zealand was charged over the use of a drone which grounded eight helicopters involved in fighting an out-of-control fire.
• A plane missed a drone by “three seconds” over Glasgow.
• Multiple near misses between planes and drones at Edinburgh airport.
• The Sao Paolo Congonhas airport was shut down for 2 hours due to a drone scare.
• Close encounters between planes and drones were reported at an Alabama airport.
• Drones were reported to have impeded California firefighting efforts.
• A drone prompted a diversion of an Arkansas wildfire surveillance plane.

Intelligent-Aerospace.comIntelligent Aerospace, the global aerospace technology network, reports on the latest tools, technologies, and trends of vital importance to aerospace professionals throughout the industry and around the globe, including engineers, engineering managers, and other key decision-makers involved in the research & development, design, test, manufacture, maintenance, upgrade and retrofit, management, and acquisition of electronics hardware and software components, tools, and systems for commercial and military fixed-wing, rotor-wing, and unmanned aircraft, air traffic control, airport operations, satellites, and space." title="

Intelligent-Aerospace.comIntelligent Aerospace, the global aerospace technology network, reports on the latest tools, technologies, and trends of vital importance to aerospace professionals throughout the industry and around the globe, including engineers, engineering managers, and other key decision-makers involved in the research & development, design, test, manufacture, maintenance, upgrade and retrofit, management, and acquisition of electronics hardware and software components, tools, and systems for commercial and military fixed-wing, rotor-wing, and unmanned aircraft, air traffic control, airport operations, satellites, and space.