A British Airways passenger jet carrying more than 250 people came within 50 feet of a mysterious silver object after departing Heathrow, prompting an official investigation into a potentially catastrophic mid-air collision.
A British Airways Boeing 777 carrying hundreds of passengers to New York narrowly avoided a collision with an unidentified object over Surrey in an incident aviation investigators have described as posing a potential risk of disaster.
The aircraft was climbing through 5,800 feet after departing Heathrow on June 24 when the object streaked past its right wing at high speed, moving in the opposite direction.
The pilot reported seeing a shiny, metallic object that appeared to pass no more than 50 feet above the aircraft, according to a report by the UK Airprox Board, which investigates near-misses involving aircraft.
The object’s appearance and speed left investigators unable to establish what it was, raising questions about the risks posed by unidentified objects in increasingly congested skies.
In its report, the board said: “The B777 pilot reports that they were climbing to altitude 6000ft on departure from LHR.
“Passing 5800ft, a shiny silver object passed in the opposite direction, very fast and very close to the right wing of the aircraft at no more than 50ft above aircraft altitude.”
The pilot then contacted air traffic control and reported what he initially described as a drone. Asked about its size, the pilot estimated that the reflective object was approximately the “size of four toasters”.
The board said the air traffic controller had relayed the pilot’s account of an object moving rapidly past the aircraft.
Despite reviewing the available information, investigators were unable to determine its nature.
“In the Board’s opinion the reported altitude and/or description of the object were such that they were unable to determine the nature of the unknown object,” the report stated.
It added that “providence had played a major part in the incident and/or a definite risk of collision had existed”.
The passengers and crew reached New York safely, but the encounter has prompted renewed scrutiny of unexplained objects operating near commercial and military aircraft.
The incident comes amid reports of separate encounters involving mysterious drones during RAF military exercises.
Last week, reports emerged of unidentified objects described as black circles, roughly the size of car tyres, appearing near RAF jets. In one reported encounter, an object came so close that a pilot instinctively ducked.
Multiple external investigations have reportedly been launched to establish the objects’ origins. Experts have described the sightings as unusual, with no comparable incidents known in the immediate area.
The Heathrow departure incident presents investigators with a particularly troubling challenge: an object travelling fast enough to pass close to a large passenger aircraft, yet remaining unidentified.
The Airprox Board’s findings do not establish whether the object was a drone or another type of airborne object. Its speed, appearance and proximity to the aircraft, however, have placed the encounter under formal scrutiny.
For aviation authorities, the priority will be determining what crossed the Boeing 777’s flight path — and whether similar encounters could pose a threat to passenger safety in the future.
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