An air safety investigation released on Thursday says police negligence contributed to a collision between a drone and a small aircraft. It’s a clear sign that more caution is needed around drone operations, says one leading aviation expert.
The investigation from Transportation Safety Board of Canada said the police crew member piloting a drone outside Toronto Buttonville Municipal Airport likely became “task saturated,” leaving a drone hovering for two minutes in airspace that was also being used by a student pilot of a small airplane during final approach.
“The student pilot and flight instructor heard and felt a solid impact at the front of the aircraft,” the report said. “Suspecting a bird strike, they continued the approach and made an uneventful landing.”
The student pilot and flight instructor on board landed their aircraft safely.
That doesn’t mean all collisions will end cleanly, according to former Air Canada COO Duncan Dee.
Dee told True North that the existence of drones adds a new complexity for airports – and that it’s concerning to see operators breaking the law by entering air traffic space.
“The part that’s so bizarre about this case is this wasn’t just some amateur drone operator who was playing with their drone,” he said. “This was a police force.”
When asked what Thursday’s finding means for the future of air travel in Canada, Dee said the key takeaway is drone rules need to be followed.
“There were basic elements they neglected to do,” he said. “It’s obviously a significant concern for operators in the country.”
At the time of the collision, the police drone pilot was conducting reconnaissance in the area around Toronto Buttonville Municipal Airport, the report said.
The drone spotter, paired with the pilot, had not been briefed on his duty to keep watch of the drone, the report said. He was also not taught how to scan for planes.
The collision happened on August 10th, 2021.
