Drone strikes passenger Boeing descending over theme park in Argentina

In a chilling incident in Argentina, a drone hit a passenger plane on approach as it was flying over Tierra Santa religious theme park in Buenos Aires. The jet landed safely.

An Aerolineas Argentinas Boeing 737-800, flying from Trelew, northeastern Patagonia, was struck by a drone during the final landing approach to Buenos Aires Jorge Newbery Airport, La Capital reports. At the time of the accident, the plane was flying over the Tierra Santa theme park.

While the Boeing landed safely, the captain of the aircraft notified the tower that a major incident was averted, after the drone struck below the window on the commander’s side of the aircraft. “Had it [drone] hit the engine it would have failed the engine,” the pilot is quoted as saying by La Capital. He also noted that “three weeks ago, in the same place, we crossed a drone within five meters,” Newsinflight.com reports.

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There were no injuries, but the aircraft did sustain minor damage, the company announced, confirming the incident. “Although the aircraft, a Boeing 737-800, suffered minor damage, it was out of service for inspections,” the company said in a statement by Infobae. The incident is now being investigated by the National Civil Aviation Administration (ANAC) and the Civil Aviation Accident Investigation Board (JIAAC).

Article 6 of the ANAC’s Provisional Regulation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles prohibits“the operation of remotely piloted air vehicles or remotely controlled aerial vehicle systems in controlled airspace, visual corridors, and helicopters” unless special authorization is obtained from the authorities by the operator.