Airliner at Europe's busiest airport wasn't hit by a drone after all, authorities say - CNET

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A passenger plane coming in to land over London probably wasn't hit by a drone, as initially thought by police.

UK Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said that upon investigation, the incident on 17 April was unlikely to have involved a drone, the BBC reports.

British Airways flight 727 was on approach to London's Heathrow airport when, at an altitude of around 1,700 feet, it appeared to hit something that Metropolitan Police said may have been a drone. Robert Goodwill, a transport minister, previously speculated that the object may have been a plastic carrier bag.

The Airbus A320 was undamaged and landed safely before continuing on to its next scheduled destination. Heathrow is the busiest airport in Europe by passenger traffic. In 2014 and 2015, planes over Heathrow and other airports around the world have begun reporting near-misses with drones.

If you have a drone, remember to check out guidelines on safe flying from the UK's Civil Aviation Authority, the US Federal Aviation Authority and Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority.