Drone Hits SkyJet Passenger Plane, Deals Minor Damage

By Edward Leano, Christian Post Contributor Tuesday, October 17, 2017

In a first for Canadian civil aviation, a small drone crashed into a passenger jet aiming to land on the Jean Lesage International Airport in Québec City, Canada. No passengers were reported hurt in the incident, and the aircraft landed safely, with only some minor damage.

Even with an otherwise uneventful landing after the mid-air collision, Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau was still unnerved about the whole series of events. "This should not have happened. That drone should not have been there," he said, according to CBC Canada.

What was a routine landing by the Skyjet flight on Thursday, Oct. 12, turned a bit hairy when the aircraft was struck by a drone during its final approach. It's the first time this has happened for a commercial flight in the country, according to the press statement by the office of the Minister of Transport last Sunday, Oct.15.

Airport representatives note that the plane flew from Rouyn-Noranda, Québec and was carrying eight passengers at the time of the incident.

Transport Canada now has the investigation under close watch together with Skyjet, NAV CANADA and the Jean Lesage International Airport in Québec City. When the Service de police de la Ville de Québec and the Transportation Safety Board finds out who flew the drone, he/she could face some stiff penalties, including fines of up to about $20,000 USD and prison time.

A drone interfering with aircraft is a serious matter, as Garneau repeated at a press conference in Montreal during the weekend. "It's important to note that aircraft are particularly vulnerable when on final approach coming in — the pilot is concentrating on landing properly," he explained.

The drone was flying too high over the airfield, Garneau added, noting that the craft was about 1,500 feet up in the air when it was intercepted by the Skyjet plane. Revised rules introduced in March made it illegal to fly a drone, without special permission, within about 3.4 miles of an airport.