FAA investigates drone flight over airliner

"ttyymmnn" (ttyymmnn) 02/05/2018 at 10:19 • Filed to: planelopnik

4

65

A video posted to YouTube appears to show a drone flying over a Frontier Airlines Airbus A320 on final approach to McCarran Airport in Las Vegas. Internet sleuths determined who posted the video, but that person denies he was piloting the drone. He says he found a memory card and discovered the video on the card. Right. Then he deleted his post. However, the same person also has a YouTube channel with other videos of him flying a drone in a reckless manner.

It’s a great shot, but let’s not do this, okay?

Spanfeller is a twat > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 10:32

0

What are the potential dangers of an unmanned drone around an airliner?

HammerheadFistpunch > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 10:32

2

Thats pretty dumb. Whoever did it (I hesitate to throw indict right away...but his story is pretty week sauce too). As I’ve been studying for my part 107 I’ve gotten more crotchety about drone operators flying recklessly.

This video is amazing but I feel like it kinda skirts the law in a few spots regarding filming on NPS land as well as over structures not allowed. Pretty though.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Spanfeller is a twat 02/05/2018 at 10:33

4

/s right?

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 10:34

0

sooo... how long till some twit with a big drone brings down an airliner?

(im not sure they could.... probably fuck up an engine pretty good tho..... maybe scare the bejeebus out of the pilots if it bounced of the cockpit window)

ttyymmnn > Spanfeller is a twat 02/05/2018 at 10:34

7

Collision, engine ingestion, fiery death for 200 people and maybe some bonus victims on the ground. Jet engines are tested for birds, not metal and plastic and dense batteries. But even birds can bring down an airliner. Just ask Sully. No aircraft has been brought down by a drone strike that I know of, but let’s not find out if it’s possible. This flight is illegal and reckless.

ttyymmnn > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 02/05/2018 at 10:35

3

Let’s not find out.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 10:35

1

good idea

Ash78, voting early and often > Spanfeller is a twat 02/05/2018 at 10:35

4

Same as a bird strike — potentially catastrophic damage if it hits an engine or control surface. Landing and takeoff are the worst possible times, and this particular airport is very very close to populations. This could easily result in hundreds of fatalities, maybe more.

Urambo Tauro > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 10:38

1

“found”

ttyymmnn > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/05/2018 at 10:38

2

You’d be surprised. If you dig through the YT comments, there are people who are convinced that this isn’t dangerous at all and that there’s no way a drone could bring down an airliner. Of course, it’s never happened, so we don’t know for sure if it’s possible, but I’d rather err on the side of caution.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 10:40

1

It will happen some time. As somebody in claims, I see the 1 in a million shots every day. I dabble in Aviation claims as well, and... yeah.

Jayhawk Jake > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 02/05/2018 at 10:41

1

I’m certain it could. By mass a “drone” isn’t any bigger than a bird, but it has batteries. I don’t know what it would look like for a LiPo battery to go through a jet engine, but if you’ve ever seen what happens when you break one open with a sharp object, well, it gets explosive in a hurry. It’s not outside the realm of possibility that a drone going into an engine could turn into an explosion and cause a catastrophic failure.

It’s stupid, reckless, and flying anything near an airliner that isn’t supposed to be there puts hundreds of lives at risk.

WilliamsSW > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 10:42

1

Screw this guy - honestly, I hope they go after him and make a public example out of him. It’s only a matter of time before an airliner collides with a drone, and while it might not cause a crash, there’s a decent chance that it would, too.

Spanfeller is a twat > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 10:43

1

I suspect it’d be good if they started testing for it, specially for the batteries because that could cause a fire or an explosion in an turbine!

I’d never think that a drone could make more damage than a bird; considering what the size of the birds they do bird strike tests on are, 5 or six pounds I believe.

Either way it is a reckless flight and whomever did it should be fined for it. Drone laws around the world are still getting used to drone pilots and how to limit them, prepare them, and register their drones.

Ash78, voting early and often > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 10:43

3

Don’t forget the whole “One jackass ruining it for the rest of us” angle. Even if we keep dodging these bullets, the entire drone and RC industry is at risk. And right now the FAA is pretty supportive because drones get people interested in flying.

I see this like the laser pointer fiascos in recent years.

Spanfeller is a twat > Ash78, voting early and often 02/05/2018 at 10:44

0

Yup, I can’t say I can see how a drone controllable from an android device can bring down an A320 but I saw what happened in the Hudson river some years ago so, yeah... fuck this idiot!

WilliamsSW > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 10:45

3

YT is also filled with people who are completely ignorant on a wide range of topics, so there’s that.

ttyymmnn > WilliamsSW 02/05/2018 at 10:46

1

Trust me, I generally stay out of YT comments.

ttyymmnn > Ash78, voting early and often 02/05/2018 at 10:47

0

But potentially more dangerous.

WilliamsSW > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 10:49

0

Foxtrot Alpha ran an article recently about the upcoming GPS outage over the southwest US while the DoD plays some war games. A lot of the commentariat seems convinced that the outage will probably cause a crash, and wondering why they didn’t notify the airlines (despite the article clearly stating that they notified the airlines).

ttyymmnn > WilliamsSW 02/05/2018 at 10:49

0

Agreed. Like I said, let’s not find out. This would be the perfect opportunity for the FAA to send a message.

ttyymmnn > WilliamsSW 02/05/2018 at 10:50

1

Deep State coverup, obviously. Wake Up Sheeple!

Ash78, voting early and often > Spanfeller is a twat 02/05/2018 at 10:50

0

And smaller planes are generally not strike-proof, so a drone will rip through the cabin at 100-200mph and kill everyone.

Grindintosecond > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 10:51

1

This is the absolute definition of careless and reckless. I don’t care how “good” a drone guy self-professes to be. I fly with ex-Air-Force pilots and some guys who do pro aerobatic flying in their off time and none of them would ever think of ding this. If I’m ever brought down by an ass-hat like this my ghost will find him and burn his dog in front of his children, just for starters.

WilliamsSW > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 10:52

2

Also a number of people suggested that the Air Force just turn off their GPS receivers instead of jamming the signal.

There’s a lot of stupid out there.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Jayhawk Jake 02/05/2018 at 10:53

0

They deflagrate and eject a ton of nasty smoke, that’s about it. It wouldn’t probably be dangerous to a jet engine due to the materials involved. I’d be more worried about steel, titanium, and some aluminum parts (depending on the alloy), which could take the engine itself out. Aircraft LiPos are soft-sided and even ground-based ones are just surrounded by a relatively soft plastic.

ttyymmnn > WilliamsSW 02/05/2018 at 10:54

3

I can guarantee that if there is another war the first target will be GPS and Internet. The side who can jam the other guy and still have access will have an overwhelming advantage.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 11:00

0

Funnily enough I’ve just got myself a beginners drone (no FAA registration required) and intend to get myself something a lot more capable in the future. I’ve been playing around with AirMap and I’ve found that my house is close enough to an airport to require a ATC notification.

Seriously took me 5 minutes to figure this out so this fuck stick has to have known what they were doing, which makes it worse.

ttyymmnn > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. 02/05/2018 at 11:03

3

This asshole knew exactly what he was doing. Based on his YT channel, is a very accomplished pilot. But having skills does not equate to having brains.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > HammerheadFistpunch 02/05/2018 at 11:06

0

I feel like you should be able to apply for a permit to be able to do that, NPS could require copies of the footage as part of the permit process. I think would go a long way into helping manage the park with all the aerial footage.  

ttyymmnn > Grindintosecond 02/05/2018 at 11:06

1

Fun fact: Did you know that “reckless” and “careless” mean the same thing? Reckless means without reck , or without care or consideration. Sorry, I’m just a word junkie, and this stuff interests me.

https://www.etymonline.com/word/reck

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 11:08

2

“But it’s just a toy bro”

HammerheadFistpunch > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. 02/05/2018 at 11:10

1

but its so much easier to take advantage of the under resourced park department and fly anyway...

Seriously, though, they should offer permits. Make them relatively difficult to get with proof of part 107 and provide geofencing for populated areas within the parks to the manufacture and FAA.

Charge em $150 for the privilege and put it towards park resources.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 11:15

0

If you ever want any Aerospace related risk, risk management or trend analysis, my company puts out some interesting info.

https://blog.willis.com/category/aerospace/

WilliamsSW > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 11:15

1

Yup - and the AF need to be able to deal with spurious signals.

ttyymmnn > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/05/2018 at 11:17

0

I get feeds from all sorts of aviation-related sites, and I will add this to the list. Every once in a while, something comes up that I find interesting and is worth sharing. Thanks!

ttyymmnn > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/05/2018 at 11:18

2

Also, it will always be the Sears Tower to me.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 11:19

1

Oh nooooooo, we paid so much money for the naming rights!!!!

For Sweden > Spanfeller is a twat 02/05/2018 at 11:19

0

Everyone dying

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 11:20

0

Correction: Low density batteries.

It’s like tossing a box of small screws at a running jet engine. Probably not the best thing, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it survived it with similar damage to a single bird strike (which they usually survive). Won’t take out two engines and they are redundant for a reason. The crash of flight 1549 was exceptionally unusual, it involved multiple bird strikes per engine, which was exceptionally unusual.

ttyymmnn > Eric @ opposite-lock.com 02/05/2018 at 11:23

1

Okay. I’ll let you test out your theory. Just let me know when, so I won’t book a flight that day.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > HammerheadFistpunch 02/05/2018 at 11:23

0

How hard is part 107? Not that I’ll need it anytime in the next 6 months but I figure once I get up to something like a DJI or similar it would be useful to have.

ttyymmnn > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever 02/05/2018 at 11:24

1

I bought the Lego model and refused to put the Willis Tower sticker on it. I lived in Oak Park back in the 70s, so it holds a lot of nostalgia for me.

HammerheadFistpunch > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. 02/05/2018 at 11:25

0

not easy. You have to know METARS reports, and charts really well. Other than those things I feel like its no harder than a HAM test.

“METAR: KSLC 051554Z 34009KT 10SM SCT060 BKN080 BKN150 11/01 A3006 RMK AO2 SLP160 T01060011"

This translates to an actual weather report I understand.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > HammerheadFistpunch 02/05/2018 at 11:30

0

Ah, well it’s all standardized stuff so just a case of memorization so doable with some effort.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 11:31

3

Drones will become one of mankind’s greatest scourges.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 11:32

0

Wait: didn’t I send you that kit?

ttyymmnn > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 02/05/2018 at 11:32

1

There was a guy in Dallas who shot his neighbor’s drone down with a shotgun. He was not charged since he argued the drone was over his yard. I bet we start seeing more of this.

ttyymmnn > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 02/05/2018 at 11:33

1

Perhaps you did. It was a few years ago. I’ve slept since then.

Grindintosecond > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 11:35

1

Oh you pedantic man! Discuss that with the police when they apply that charge.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 11:35

3

Guns that aren’t firearms. The thing is, the new ones are tiny. I just hope that when an airliner inevitably ingests one that there’s no loss of life.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 11:36

1

Or played tackle football?

HammerheadFistpunch > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. 02/05/2018 at 11:37

0

yeah, its just a lot of wrote memorization and the ability to read charts.

ttyymmnn > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 02/05/2018 at 11:44

1

Definitely not that.

ttyymmnn > Grindintosecond 02/05/2018 at 11:45

0

Not being pedantic. I’m just into language. You’ll find the word reck in Shakespeare.

Grindintosecond > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 11:50

0

I just learned where ‘Obscene’ came from. It was fascinating, really. Literary telling instead of showing was huge back in the day, where today telling is mostly bad. But Greek plays never showed violence on stage, they would tell you about what just happened and the violence was referred to as ‘ob skene’ or Off Stage. Violence was a no no so anything that’s not judged appropriate is called Obscene today, as not good for the public to see.

I’m not seeing many Atlanta layovers these days but when I get a good one I’ll give you a heads up.

ttyymmnn > Grindintosecond 02/05/2018 at 11:52

0

Good stuff. Thanks.

I’m not seeing many Atlanta layovers these days but when I get a good one I’ll give you a heads up.

Sounds like a plan. I’ll let you know when I’m in Atlanta, too. I live in Austin.

Grindintosecond > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 12:11

0

Oh well hell I see that more often. 0 times in Feb tho. Let you know.

Flew a Max-8 a month ago. weird start sequence, but smooth operator. Fuel burn close to an Embraer 170 but carrys 2.5x the people. Still have to turn on the ice system manually...

ttyymmnn > Grindintosecond 02/05/2018 at 12:15

0

Did you fit inside the head? I’ve heard there’s barely enough room to wipe your ass in there.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 12:24

0

I wouldn’t fly one into a jet intentionally, but I am extremely familiar with everything involved (aside from some of the inner workings of the engines), so I’m not going on pure emotion like most here and elsewhere on the internet.

It is tremendously reckless to fly them in landing approaches or above a certain height. I don’t agree with the actions of this individual, but I am certain the risk is not as great as you believe.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 12:31

2

GPS jamming has been a thing in war zones for well over a decade now. I worked on high-bandwidth downlink equipment for military drones and a lack of GPS was something we had to work around because it was fairly common (the method we used is not classified, but I won’t talk about it here). Domestically, where it is very rare that the GPS signal is jammed, we did pure GPS-based trackers for local LE helicopter and drone downlinks.

RallyWrench > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 12:33

1

It would be cool if GE or Rolls set an old engine up on a test stand and sent a drone through it. That video would prove the point nicely.

Grindintosecond > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 12:57

1

Same old lav in any other 737 NG.

They just improved efficiencey by strapping geared fans on it and then adjusting everything else to make it work...nose gear is 7" longer or something close. Crew now needs a step stool to disconnect headsets and ground power from the external panel.

ttyymmnn > Grindintosecond 02/05/2018 at 12:59

0

https://thepointsguy.com/2018/01/aa-flight-attendants-complain-737-max-bathrooms/

Grindintosecond > ttyymmnn 02/05/2018 at 13:04

1

AA attendants complain about everything. Yeah it looks smaller because the mirror is closer and the sink is narrower, but the toilet is the same size.