United Airlines flight 1980 reportedly hit by ‘drone’ above San Diego; scary ATC audio surfaces
United flight 1980 (Boeing 737) reportedly struck a drone near San Diego at 3,000 ft; unconfirmed reports say no injuries or damage after landing.
A United Airlines flight from San Francisco was reportedly hit by a drone nearly 3000 feel above San Diego on Wednesday afternoon. The reports have not been confirmed by FAA, ATC or United Airlines, but an audio from the ATC is circulating on social media in which the pilot could he heard informing the controller about a drone striking the flight.
The Mirror and the Washington Times reports that the flight involved in the accident was a UAL flight 1980, a Boeing 737. It had been operating from San Francisco to San Diego International Airport.
In the audio, where the pilot could be heard informing the ground control about the collision after the landing, it was shared on the ATC app. There are no reports of any injuries or damages.
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“Ground 1980, you know off of runway 27 at Broadway Robin?” the pilot says. “We hit a drone,” the pilot could be heard in the audio. “At around — probably at around 3000 feet, about.”
What We Know About The 'Drone' Hit
Despite reports that the flight was likely hit by a drone, the object in question has yet to be identified. In the audio, the pilot can be heard saying that it was a red-colored "small object" that the pilot was not able to clearly identify.
{{/usCountry}}Despite reports that the flight was likely hit by a drone, the object in question has yet to be identified. In the audio, the pilot can be heard saying that it was a red-colored "small object" that the pilot was not able to clearly identify.
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{{/usCountry}}“It was so small,” the pilot can be heard saying in the audio. “I couldn’t tell. It was red. It was shiny.”
{{/usCountry}}“It was so small,” the pilot can be heard saying in the audio. “I couldn’t tell. It was red. It was shiny.”
{{/usCountry}}Here's the viral audio:
{{/usCountry}}Here's the viral audio:
{{/usCountry}}United Boss Touts American Airlines Merger
{{/usCountry}}United Boss Touts American Airlines Merger
{{/usCountry}}On Monday, April 27, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said that a merger with rival American Airlines would benefit travelers. However, despite the quite public push by United Airlines.
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“I was confident that this combination, which would have been about adding and not subtracting, creating a truly great airline that customers love, could get regulatory approval,” the United boss said in a statement. “I was hoping to pitch that story to American, but they declined to engage and instead responded by publicly closing the door.”
