Are unmanned drones now flying over brooklyn? That’s the story of at least one commercial airliner crew.
CNN reports that the crew of Alitalia Flight 608 reported seeing a drone over Brooklyn on Monday. The unmanned drone came within 200 feet of the commercial jet, and a collision could have caused a major disaster.
The FAA and FBI are now both investigating the incident. The latter is asking for information on who the owner of the unmanned aircraft is, and where it came from. The agency said its main concern now “is the safety of aircraft passengers and crew.”
Drones are increasingly being used in overseas combat operations, but there’s not been many in use in the in the U.S. The most common use comes in the form of hobbyist unmanned flying machines. These machines are heavily regulated by the FAA, however, and are only allowed to fly up to 400 feet. The one that almost hit the commercial jet was flying at 1,750 feet.
This most recent incident will most likely cause more people to question the use of drones in domestic air space. Some have already expressed concerns over privacy violations related to the use of drones, but the potential for mid-air collisions may ignite more discussion on the topic.