US Sees Big Surge in Close Calls With Drones

Washington: It was a fine summer day over the airport at Charlotte, North Carolina and a CRJ200 commuter jet was preparing to land when its pilots spotted something odd outside their cockpit window -- a drone.

The unmanned craft flew about five to 10 feet (1.5-3 meters) above the plane, the captain wrote afterward to NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System.

He said the event lasted just one to two seconds, and the silver or blue drone appeared to be of the hobby or home-built type.

"We notified ATC (air traffic control) and they did a good job of making callouts to other traffic in the area," the captain wrote. "See and avoid. Don't hit them. Don't allow them in busy... airspace."

As more and more small radio-controlled drones appear in American skies, so do worries that someday, one might bump into a full-sized airplane -- possibly with grim results.

Nearly 700 close encounters with drones have been reported by pilots so far this year, according to Federal Aviation Administration statistics.

That's about triple the number for all of last year, The Washington Post newspaper, which first reported the FAA figures, said Friday.

"Because pilot reports of unmanned aircraft have increased dramatically over the past year, the FAA wants to send a clear message that operating drones around airplanes and helicopters is dangerous and illegal," the aviation authority said in a statement.

"Unauthorised operators may be subject to stiff fines and criminal charges, including possible jail time."

Several close calls

Since the start of August, there have been at least 75 close calls, including a dozen this past Sunday alone, in every corner of the nation.

The FAA may be still drafting a comprehensive set of regulations for drones in US skies, but for recreational drone pilots, the rules now are clear: no higher than 400 feet, always within sight and nowhere near an airport without prior permission.