Suspected Drone Strikes Passenger Jet In London

Did a drone collide with a BA passenger jet (British Airways) over London Heathrow’s airport? Whatever it was it left the plane undamaged, but the aviation industry shocked.

British Airways Flight BA727 from Geneva was approaching Heathrow on Sunday afternoon when what the pilot believed to be a drone struck the front of the aircraft, London Metropolitan Police said. The plane was 1,700 feet in the air at the time, police said. British police and air accident authorities were investigating Sunday's incident, in which an Airbus A320 carrying 137 people struck an object believed to be a drone at a height of about 1,700 feet (518 meters) while it was approaching Heathrow Airport.

The Airbus A320 touched down safely, with none of the 132 passengers and five crew members on board injured, British Airways spokesman Michael Johnson said. The plane was fine, too, he said.

Still, authorities’ worry that careless drone use will eventually lead to a catastrophe.

"Thankfully the aircraft landed safely but the incident highlights the very real dangers of reckless, negligent and sometimes malicious use of drones," Chief Superintendent Martin Hendy, head of Metropolitan Police Service's Aviation Policing Command said in a statement. "We continue to work with the Civil Aviation Authority and other partners to tackle this issue and ensure that enthusiasts who fly drones understand the dangers and the law.

Arrests are yet to be made, but police think the drone may have been launched from southwest London's Richmond Park. They searched the area for debris but haven't yet found anything.

Authorities requested help from the public yesterday, anybody who was at the park who may have seen anything to please get in touch. Requests have also been made that anyone who finds drone debris to contact the police. Britain's Air Accidents Investigation Branch publicized on Monday that it was also looking into the incident.