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Pilot reports of close calls with drones soar: FAA

Xinhua, August 17, 2015 Adjust font size:

Reports of drone sightings by U. S. pilots in the country so far this year have been more than double last year, said the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA), raising concerns that a fatal collision may occur should regulations continue to fall short of requirement.

According to data by the FAA, there have already been at least 650 reports of drone sightings this year by Aug. 9, while in all of 2014, a total of 238 of sightings were reported by U.S. pilots within the country.

In a statement issued earlier this week, the FAA said that pilots of a variety of different types of aircraft, including large, commercial air carriers, reported spotting 16 unmanned aircraft in June of 2014, and 36 the following month. However, this year, 138 pilots reported seeing drones at altitudes of up to 10,000 feet in June and another 137 in July.

As the western part of the country is bracing itself for wildfire blazes, the FAA said firefighters were also frequently forced to ground their operations for safety reasons when they spotted one or more unmanned aircraft in their immediate vicinity.

According to the U.S. Forest Service, drones had already interfered with aircraft fighting at least 13 wildfires so far this year.

Amid the increasing number of drone sightings by pilots, the U. S. Department of Transportation is reviewing whether the FAA has the authority to require drones to be registered, officials told the U.S. TV network CBS News earlier this week.

Currently, drones are considered hobby aircraft and are exempt from registration because they are banned from flying over 400 feet. Endite