For the second time in less than a week, a drone has been spotted flying over Logan International Airport. In both cases, authorities reported the drone was flying at altitudes much higher than legally allowed.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the crew of a JetBlue flight on approach to Logan saw the drone just before 6 p.m. on Sunday, October 20, 2019, about two miles southeast of the airport. A state police spokesman said the drone was spotted at about 3,500 feet, higher than legally allowed.
On October 14, 2019, The Federal Aviation Administration says the Boutique Airlines Pilatus PC-12 reported seeing "an unmanned aircraft" at about 2,800 feet just 4.6 miles northeast of the airport just before 3 p.m. The crew aboard the plane reported seeing the drone off its right-wing.
Last November, The FAA and Massachusetts State Police investigated a drone incident after a Delta flight crew member reported seeing a drone about 15 miles from Logan International Airport.
Airports and Airspace Security Solutions
Reports of drones disrupting airspace are becoming more common. We have witnessed drones disrupt airport operations for as much as 33 hours, as in the case at Gatwick Airport. Drones not only disrupt flights and activities, but they could also lead to a dangerous near collision with an aircraft putting planes, pilots, and passengers in danger.
Airport personnel and transportation security officials can have a hard time predicting UAS flight paths and locating UAS pilots without drone detection technology. Drone detection can give airports real-time information to make informed decisions on safety and operations.