Blog: Gatwick Airport incident shows the threat of rogue drones in commercial airspace

Last year, pilots reported 385 near mid-air collisions in the U.S., defined as a “collision hazard” between two or more aircraft or when an aircraft flies within 500 feet of another aircraft, according to a report released this month by the Federal Aviation Administration. Near mid-air collisions with drones “now account for more than half of reported events,” the FAA said. In 2016, pilots reported 304 near mid-air collisions, with a similar ratio of drone incidents.