United Airlines Boeing 737 narrowly avoids drone near Newark runway
A United Airlines flight approaching Newark Airport reported a drone sighting and safely landed after the crew maneuvered to avoid a possible collision, prompting an FAA investigation.
A United Airlines Boeing 737 carrying 106 passengers and five crew members on a flight from Key West, Florida, reported a drone sighting while descending toward Newark Airport at about 4:20 p.m. on Friday. The aircraft’s crew said the unmanned device, described as circular and roughly three feet wide, was about 100 feet below the plane, and another pilot on a separate inbound flight observed the drone at approximately 2,000 feet.
"We almost hit a drone," the pilot said in air-traffic-control communications, according to audio verified by a news outlet.
United Airlines confirmed the flight, identified as United 1513, landed safely and passengers deplaned normally. The Federal Aviation Administration has opened an investigation, noting that it receives more than 100 drone-sighting reports near airports each month and that unauthorized drone operations can result in fines and criminal penalties.
The incident highlights ongoing concerns about drone activity in the vicinity of busy airfields.
