The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has created a task force to scientifically and methodically analyze the potential risks of collisions between manned and unmanned aircraft.
The group, including representatives of aircraft and engine manufacturers, will review “all relevant” occurrences, including those reported by European member states, and analyze existing studies on the subject of “impact between drones and aircraft,” the EASA stated May 4.
“The task force will study the vulnerabilities of aircraft—windshields, engines and airframe—taking into account the different categories of aircraft—large aircraft, general aviation and helicopters—and their associated design and operational requirements,” the agency added.
The EASA is currently developing a regulatory framework for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) operations in Europe that includes certain anticollision provisions, among them visual line-of-sight operations at altitudes less than 500-ft., geofencing features, and registration.
The effort comes as reports of UAS sightings by manned aircraft steadily increase, with public attention heightened by a stream of government and media reports, and tweets.
On April 17, the U.K. Air Accidents Investigation Branch launched an investigation into an apparent collision between a UAS and a British Airways Airbus A320 as the aircraft descended toward London’s Heathrow Airport. Officials later said the object may have been a plastic bag, and the aircraft suffered no damage.
FAA data shows the average number of U.S. UAS sightings per month has increased year-over-year since 2014, with a peak of 186 in July 2015. According to a recent study by Bard College, more than 36% of the 582 sightings between Aug. 21, 2015, and Jan. 31 of this year were “close encounters,” in which UAS came within 500 ft. of aircraft. Pilots took evasive actions in less than 2% of such cases, the study reported.
Collisions aside, the presence of UAS in the flightpath near airports is causing stress that could lead to mistakes. In a January NASA Aviation Reporting Safety Reporting System study, pilots of a Bombardier CRJ200 reported a high workload for pilots and controllers due to a report of a UAS on approach to Salt Lake City disrupting communications.
The EASA announcement appears to make the first large-scale scientific study of the potential impact effects of a collision, outside informal comments made last year by U.S. officials that the FAA would investigate potential effects of UAS ingestion in turbofan engines. The FAA has not provided further information on the study or any results.
The EASA plans to publish the task force’s results in July as part of a workshop to discuss its findings and recommendations, which could include performing collision tests, potentially on windscreens.