United flight struck by red drone

A United Airlines flight from San Francisco reported hitting a small red drone while descending into San Diego on Wednesday morning, then landed safely. (nbcsandiego.com) (ktvu.com) The flight was United 1980, a Boeing 737-800 bound for San Diego International Airport. United said the aircraft landed normally and passengers deplaned at the gate. (nbcsandiego.com) (thehill.com) Air traffic control audio reviewed by local outlets captured the pilot reporting, “we hit a drone,” and describing the object as small, red and shiny at about 3,000 feet on the base leg of the approach. (yahoo.com) (cbs8.com) United said 48 passengers and six crew members were on board. The airline said its maintenance team thoroughly inspected the plane after landing and found no damage. (nbcsandiego.com) (newsnationnow.com) The Federal Aviation Administration said the agency gets more than 100 reports of unmanned aircraft sightings near airports each month. Its guidance says drone pilots must stay under 400 feet unless they have specific authorization and must yield to manned aircraft. (faa.gov 1) (faa.gov 2) A Government Accountability Office report said unauthorized drone flights near airports can create safety and security risks and can also disrupt air traffic control. The report said federal and local agencies still face limits on drone detection and counter-drone tools at airports. (gao.gov) San Diego’s case did not force a diversion or emergency landing, but it fits a pattern regulators have been tracking for years. The Federal Aviation Administration’s public records page says reports from pilots, citizens and law enforcement remain high. (faa.gov) The next step is investigation, not a verdict on what the object was. United has called it a possible drone strike, and the Federal Aviation Administration has not yet publicly released findings beyond the reported incident. (thehill.com) (ktvu.com)