Sunday, March 20, 2016

Drones flying near airports raises concerns for lawmakers

Drones are flying dangerously close to planes and airports.

The Federal Aviation Administration says it is happening more than 25 times a month now.

FOX13’s Justin Gray reports on the new legislation designed to find a technological solution to this growing safety concern.

The FAA recorded more than 1,000 incidents similar to a close call between a passenger jet and a drone last year.

A bill from Florida Senator Bill Nelson passed the Senate Commerce Committee this week that would create a pilot program to test new technologies to intercept or shut down unmanned drones flying dangerously close to airports.

The FAA is also looking at technology that uses radio signals to spot not just drones in the air but also the location of the person on the ground piloting it.

In Tennessee, a plane had a near miss with a drone while on final approach for landing at Nashville International Airport.

No crashes have occurred yet, but Sen. Nelson says it is a growing risk.

“You can imagine what plastic and metal can do if it’s sucked into an airline engine,” said Sen. Nelson.

At least two major companies are already partnering with the FAA to develop a technological solution to the drone problem.

Original articlce can be found here: http://www.fox13memphis.com

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