Seaplane has close call with drone near Vancouver airport
RCMP is probing incident, one of 19 reported this year in B.C.
A flying drone narrowly missed a seaplane this week as the plane landed on the Fraser River at Vancouver International Airport.
The pilot reported to Transport Canada that a black drone with four propellers missed the windshield of the Seair Seaplanes’ Cessna 208 on Monday by about three metres when the aircraft was 12 metres from touching down on the river.
The drone, or unmanned aerial vehicle, was seen turning north toward the airport before the pilot lost sight of it.
The incident is being investigated by the Richmond RCMP.
RCMP Cpl. Dennis Hwang said the incident is as close a call as he can remember involving a drone at or near the Vancouver airport.
“We are following up on leads — we might have a suspect,” said Hwang, adding he could not say any more about the investigation.
Seair operations manager Terry Hiebert said the incident was the first close call with a drone for the company, but he has heard increasing reports of drones in air traffic space as the aerial vehicles become more popular.
“There was no impact, but it’s just rather startling. Drones should not be out next to an international airport,” said Hiebert.
The near miss with the seaplane is one of 19 incidents already reported to Transport Canada in B.C. this year, and among 33 reported in the past 16 months.
There was also an incident on Tuesday, where a Cessna 172 travelling from Powell River to Boundary Bay reported a drone 90 to 120 metres below the aircraft at Stanley Park.
Reportable incidents to Transport Canada are defined, in part, as a “collision, a risk of collision, or a loss of separation.” Another very close call was reported last year on Sept. 27, when a drone just barely missed the wing of a de Havilland float plane flying at about 360 metres while it was travelling from Vancouver to Squamish.
As well as the possibility of a collision, drones can cause delays in air traffic.
A runway at Vancouver International Airport was shut down for 25 minutes in August 2014 after a Carson Air flight reported seeing a drone on its final approach.
The incidents put a spotlight on the growing problem of drones intruding into commercial air space.
Risks include smashing a windshield or taking out an engine, with the ever-present potential for a crash and multiple deaths.
Federal rules require anyone using a drone for commercial purposes to hold a special flight operations certificate that can put restrictions on altitude, communications with air traffic control, and minimum distances from airports and airfields.
Recreational users don’t require permission to fly their drones under 35 kilograms, however, they must stay nine kilometres away from airports and airfields.
“Flying an unmanned air vehicle close to airports and other aircraft is extremely dangerous to people in the air and on the ground,” Transport Canada spokeswoman Sara Johnston said in an email.
Transport Canada can issue fines of up to $5,000 for an individual and $25,000 for a business for flying without a certificate when one is required.
Between January 2014 and March 2015, Transport Canada issued 12 fines for violations of federal drone rules.
Vancouver airport officials said they are co-operating with the RCMP investigation.
“Flying an unmanned air vehicle close to airports and other aircraft is extremely dangerous to people in the air and on the ground.
SARAH JOHNSTON
TRANSPORT CANADA SPOKESWOMAN