Mysterious object almost collides with jet on approach to UK airport, shocking report finds pilots had ‘no time to act’

The just-released report into the incident, which took place on September 1 at Leeds Bradford airport, reveals that an unknown, luminous object came within three metres (10 feet) of the plane as it prepared to touch down. 

The ‘Category A’ event was only just confirmed by the UK Airprox Board, a near-miss monitoring agency. 

“Both pilots suddenly saw a bright light and an object which appeared to be moving toward the aircraft, almost head on, slightly up and to the left,” the report details. 

“The object appeared without warning and there was no time to act.”

A police helicopter had witnessed lanterns in the area, however “Neither of the pilots believed what they saw was a lantern,” according to the air safety board.

Investigators found that “a definite risk of collision had existed” but thankfully disaster was avoided.

Another near-collision event occurred just three days prior, when a drone came within three feet of an Airbus A320 passenger jet with 186 passengers on board some 8,000ft above Manchester Airport, flying 20 times above the legal limit for privately-owned drones.

The agency confirmed 400 such incidents have been reported in the past five years.

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