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Report: Drone Hits Passenger Plane in Mozambique

Alan Phillips

News organizations are reporting that a drone collided with a Boeing 737-700 aircraft on its approach to Mozambique’s Tete Airport yesterday.  Tete is the capital city of Tete Province in Mozambique. It is reported that there were eighty passengers and six crew on the flight. The Mirror reported that the crew heard a bang, which alerted them to the possibility of the aircraft “having made contact with an external body.  The event did not disrupt the normal conduct of the flight.”

This picture is from The Aviation Herald (http://avherald.com/)

There are no reports of the pilots, crew, or passengers making visual contact with the drone. There have been previous reports of near-misses between drones and commercial aircraft but this is the first time that the Drone Manufacturers Association has issued a statement about a drone/aircraft crash.

 

The following statement may be attributed to Kara Calvert, Executive Director of the Drone Manufacturers Alliance.

“The Drone Manufacturers Alliance, the organization representing manufacturers of the majority of civilian drones, takes very seriously the report that a drone may have collided with a passenger airliner in Mozambique, Africa. In past incidents, early reports of drone involvement turned out to be false. Nevertheless, we take these reports seriously, and our member companies stand ready to offer assistance to Mozambique’s aviation authorities as they investigate this incident. Our members are investing heavily in technology and features that enhance safety and help avoid collisions, and we work hard to educate users about safe operations. As the industry evolves, we believe it is important for authorities and policy makers to proceed thoughtfully and in a way that continues to recognize the immense benefits of drone technology.”

 

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