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Drone causes Gatwick Airport disruption Drone causes Gatwick Airport disruption
(about 1 hour later)
A drone flying close to Gatwick Airport led to the closure of the runway and forced five flights to be diverted.A drone flying close to Gatwick Airport led to the closure of the runway and forced five flights to be diverted.
An airport spokesman said the runway had been closed for two periods of nine minutes and five minutes on Sunday evening after the drone was sighted. An airport spokesman said the runway had been closed for two periods on Sunday - of nine and five minutes - after the drone was sighted.
Easyjet said four of its flights had been diverted, while British Airways said one aircraft had been sent to Bournemouth. Other flights had to fly holding patterns as a precaution. Easyjet said four of its flights were diverted, while British Airways said one aircraft was diverted to Bournemouth.
Other flights were put into holding patterns as a precaution.
Sussex Police is investigating.Sussex Police is investigating.
The airport said: "Runway operations at Gatwick were suspended between 18:10 BST and 18:19, and again from 18:36 to 18:41, resulting in a small number of go-arounds and diverts. The airport said: "Runway operations at Gatwick were suspended between 18:10 BST and 18:19, and again from 18:36 to 18:41, resulting in a small number of go-arounds and diverts."
"Operations have resumed and the police continue to investigate." Craig Jenkins, who was flying with Easyjet from Naples, Italy, said: "We were crossing over the Channel and it [the plane] started circling.
Channel circles "It did four or five circles... before the captain said we were landing at Stansted.
Passengers have told the BBC how their flights were diverted away from Gatwick. "First, they said Gatwick was closed because of an incident. Shortly after, they said it was a drone."
Craig Jenkins, who was flying with Easyjet from Naples, Italy, said: "We were crossing over the Channel and it started circling. Mr Jenkins, from Greenwich, south-east London, said passengers were given the choice of disembarking at Stansted or waiting an hour to fly back to Gatwick.
"It did four or five circles, heading further east, before the captain said we were landing at Stansted. Niamh Slatter, from Sussex, was flying from Valencia, Spain, when her BA flight was diverted to Bournemouth.
"First, they said Gatwick was closed because of an incident. Then, shortly after, they said it was a drone." "We were due to land 15 minutes early, but ended up circling over the south coast," she said.
Mr Jenkins, who is from Greenwich, south-east London, said passengers were given the choice of disembarking at Stansted or waiting an hour and flying back to Gatwick. "Our attempted landing at Gatwick was aborted quite late as the drone had been spotted again, so we were told that the flight was being diverted to Bournemouth."
Aborted landing Easyjet apologised for the inconvenience, saying the circumstances were "outside" of the firm's control.
Niamh Slatter, from Sussex, was flying home from Valencia, Spain, when her BA flight was diverted to Bournemouth. How common are near misses involving drones?
"We were due to land 15 minutes early, but ended up circling over the south coast for a while," she said. The UK Airprox Board monitors near-miss incidents.
"Our attempted landing at Gatwick was aborted quite late as the drone had been spotted again, so we were told that the flight was being diverted to Bournemouth Airport." An Airprox is the official term for a situation where the distance between aircraft and their relative positions and speed were such that the safety of the aircraft may have been compromised.
An Easyjet spokeswoman said three flights would continue on to Gatwick, while passengers from a fourth, diverted to London Southend Airport, would be provided with coach transfers. There were 70 Airprox reports involving drones coming close to aircraft over the UK in 2016 - more than double the number for 2015.
"While the circumstances are outside of our control, Easyjet apologises for any inconvenience caused," she added. There have been 33 incidents up to May 2017.
As news of the incident broke, Conservative MP for The Wrekin, Shropshire, Mark Pritchard tweeted: "As Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group on #aviation I will be writing to SOS Transport asking for urgent action on drones threat." The Civil Aviation Authority recommends drones be flown at no higher than 400ft. However, the highest Airprox involving a drone was at 12,500ft.
Of the 142 Airprox incidents involving drones recorded since 2010, 40 of them were near to Heathrow. Six of them, up to May, had been near to Gatwick.
Rules on flying dronesRules on flying drones
In November 2016, the UK's drone code was revised and updated to help pilots ensure they fly the gadgets safely.In November 2016, the UK's drone code was revised and updated to help pilots ensure they fly the gadgets safely.
The revised code turned the five main safety tips into a mnemonic, spelling drone, to make it easier to remember.The revised code turned the five main safety tips into a mnemonic, spelling drone, to make it easier to remember.
UK revises safe flying drone codeUK revises safe flying drone code
Former senior air traffic controller Doug Maclean told BBC News aviation authorities had to "act on the safe side" in incidents involving drones. The British Airline Pilots' Association's flight safety specialist, Steve Landells, said the threat of drones flown near aircraft "must be addressed before we see a disaster".
"Drones are really very small. They are not designed to be spotted on air traffic radar."
But he added: "Airports like Gatwick and Heathrow are very busy places, so there are lots of people aware of what a drone looks like.
"As soon as anyone sees anything like that, I am sure there is going to be a very instant report to air traffic control, who would then have to make a judgement on how dangerous the situation was."
The British Airline Pilots' Association's flight safety specialist Steve Landells said the threat of drones flown near aircraft "must be addressed before we see a disaster".
"We believe a collision, particularly with a helicopter, has the potential to be catastrophic," he said."We believe a collision, particularly with a helicopter, has the potential to be catastrophic," he said.
'Imprisonment'
The union has called for compulsory registration of drone users and said new technology should be considered, including a system where the drone transmits enough data for the police to track down the operator.The union has called for compulsory registration of drone users and said new technology should be considered, including a system where the drone transmits enough data for the police to track down the operator.
In April, the UK Airprox Board, which monitors near-miss incidents, said there had been five such incidents in one month.
This included one on the approach to Edinburgh Airport on 25 November 2016, in which a drone came within 75ft of an aircraft.
In another incident last November, a near-miss involving a passenger jet and more than one drone was reported in the UK for the first time near Heathrow Airport.
How common are near misses involving drones?
There were 70 Airprox reports involving drones coming close to aircraft over the UK in 2016. This is more than double the number for 2015.
There were 33 incidents up to May 2017. An Airprox is the official term for a situation where the distance between aircraft and their relative positions and speed were such that the safety of the aircraft may have been compromised.
Only one drone has actually struck a passenger aircraft. This happened in April 2016 to a British Airways flight approaching Heathrow. The plane, an A320 Airbus carrying 132 passengers and five crew, landed safely.
The Civil Aviation Authority recommends drones be flown at no higher than 400ft. However, the highest Airprox involving a drone was at 12,500ft.
Of the 142 Airprox incidents involving drones recorded since 2010, 40 of them were near to Heathrow. Six of them, up to May, had been near to Gatwick.
'Severe penalties'
The Civil Aviation Authority said there were serious consequences for people who broke the rules when flying drones.The Civil Aviation Authority said there were serious consequences for people who broke the rules when flying drones.
"Drone users have to understand that when taking to the skies they are potentially flying close to one of the busiest areas of airspace in the world."Drone users have to understand that when taking to the skies they are potentially flying close to one of the busiest areas of airspace in the world.
"[It is] a complex system that brings together all manner of aircraft including passenger aeroplanes, military jets, helicopters, gliders and light aircraft," a spokesman said."[It is] a complex system that brings together all manner of aircraft including passenger aeroplanes, military jets, helicopters, gliders and light aircraft," a spokesman said.
"It is totally unacceptable to fly drones close to airports and anyone flouting the rules can face severe penalties including imprisonment.""It is totally unacceptable to fly drones close to airports and anyone flouting the rules can face severe penalties including imprisonment."