EasyJet plane in terrifying near miss with drone while travelling at 300mph over Sussex
The incident occurred just three minutes after the EasyJet plane took off from Gatwick Airport
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An EasyJet plane was involved in a near miss with a drone while travelling at rapid speeds of 300mph.
The aircraft was just 16 feet away from a suspected drone as it flew over the Sussex countryside, an official report which was released this week has revealed.
The incident, which took place at around 3.21pm on February 24, claimed the jet was flying at a height of 5,000 feet when it narrowly avoided the drone.
The Airbus A320 had taken off from nearby Gatwick Airport just three minutes before.
Air traffic controllers were informed immediately and a warning was issued for other pilots taking off from Gatwick
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It was carrying passengers from the UK’s third-largest airport to the Swiss city of Basel.
The UK Airprox Board completed its investigation of the near-miss.
Pilots initially thought the object was a bird but later concluded it was a drone being flown illegally.
Air traffic controllers were informed immediately and a warning was issued for other pilots taking off from Gatwick.
The incident was recorded under Category A, making it the highest level involving a serious risk of collision.
“It was hard to tell but looked stationary as they flew past, i.e. no relative motion.
“They both concluded that it was possibly a drone as it seemed to move up and then manoeuvred to the left out of the way. They reported it immediately.”
The UK Airprox Board’s report concluded: “The pilot’s overall account of the incident portrayed a situation where providence had played a major part in the incident and/or a definite risk of collision had existent.”
The EasyJet plane was carrying passengers from the UK’s third-largest airport to the Swiss city of Basel.
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However, it also added: “In the Board’s opinion the reported altitude and/or description of the object were such that they were unable to determine the nature of the unknown object.”
An EasyJet spokesperson said: “We are aware of the report and will always fully support any investigation.
“Safety is always EasyJet’s highest priority and our flight crew acted in accordance with our standard operating procedures to ensure the safety of the flight was not compromised at any time.”