File photo
Los Angeles: A United Airlines flight on Wednesday reported a drone collision scare in the airspace near a Southern California airport, according to authorities and multiple local news reports.
At around 8:20am local time (15:20 GMT), the flight from San Francisco was preparing to land in San Diego when the crew reported seeing a "small, shiny red drone" below them, according to air-traffic control audio obtained by local ABC 10News.
A total of 48 passengers and six crew members were reportedly on board the Boeing 737 aircraft at the time.
"United flight 1980 reported a possible drone strike just prior to arriving in San Diego. The flight landed safely, and customers deplaned normally at the gate," the airline said in a statement to the media, adding that its maintenance team found no damage after thoroughly inspecting the aircraft.
"While approaching San Diego International Airport at about 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) altitude, the crew of United Airlines Flight 1980 told air traffic control they believed they saw a drone 1,000 feet (305 meters) below them," the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also said in a statement to media.
"Air traffic control alerted other pilots but did not receive any additional drone-sighting reports," the agency added.
The FAA warned the public on its website about the growing risks that an increasing number of drones pose to civil aviation, saying that "it is legal to fly a drone in most locations but there are rules."
In general, drones may be operated below 400 feet (121.9 meters) in most areas in the United States. However, flying near airports usually requires authorization from the FAA, according to the agency.
