12/14/2015
Hundreds of drones fly dangerously close to manned aircraft
(CNN)Hundreds of drones fly dangerously close to manned aircraft in U.S. airspace, forcing pilots to take evasive action sometimes, a new study shows.
Experts reviewed 921 cases involving drones and manned aircraft between December 2013 and September this year.
Of those, 327 incidents fall under the definition of close encounters, according to Bard College’s Center for the Study of the Drone.
It defined “close encounters” as drones coming within 500 feet of aircraft.
In close encounters, pilots “maneuvered to avoid a collision with a drone” at least 28 times, the study says. Such encounters involved various aircraft, including passenger jets and helicopters.