British Airways operated Airbus A320 reported to have been hit by a drone at Heathrow

Police are investigating reports an Airbus A320 operated by British Airways collided with unmanned drone on Sunday at Heathrow.

It’s the first ever reported collision between a passenger jet and a drone, this latest incident follows a series of near-misses in recent months including a drone coming within 80 metres of an A380 Airbus ‘superjumbo’ taking off from Heathrow airport in October 2015.

Police have confirmed they are investigating the incident which happened at 12:50pm on Sunday as a BA flight from Gevena approached Heathrow, the plane was carrying 132 passengers and 5 crew.

BA said the jet landed safely where it was fully examined by engineers, it was cleared to operate its next flight

The Civil Aviation Authority said it was aware of the incident a spokesperson said:

“Anyone operating a drone must do so responsibly and observe all relevant rules and regulations. The rules for flying drones are designed to keep all airspace users safe. It is totally unacceptable to fly drones close to airports and anyone flouting the rules can face severe penalties including imprisonment.”

The Air Accident Investigation Branch said they were investigating the incident.

in nal