Drones Almost Collided With Planes in UK on 4 Occasions - Reports

Drones almost caused collisions with airplanes near major airports in the United Kingdom on at least four occasions in August and September, local media reported Friday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to The Guardian newspaper, the UK Airprox Board investigated seven incidents last month with drone involvement. Four of them were classified as very serious, or "category A."

At least 30 drone incidents and planes took place in 2015, which is a fivefold increase from the year before.

"The reports that UK Airprox gets are the ones that are seen. But when you’re flying at more than 100mph, the chances of seeing a typical, 18-inch wide drone are small. We don’t know if this is the tip of the iceberg. With the massive increase in drone sales, we fear we might see a dramatic rise in close calls," Steve Landells, a flight safety specialist at the British Airline Pilots Association told the newspaper.

The association called for more research into drone impact.

In July, the United Kingdom’s Civil Aviation Authority (CCA) unveiled a list of rules for using drones after a series of near collisions involving passenger planes.