---
title: "The British Are Crashing Drones Into Planes for Science"
description: "Drones, UK"
date: "2016-10-18"
modified: "2016-10-18"
authors:
  - name: "Aaron Brown"
    job_title: "Staff Editor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/aaron-brown"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/5597/the-british-are-crashing-drones-into-planes-for-science"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "Drones"
  - "uk"
---

# The British Are Crashing Drones Into Planes for Science

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/archive-images/drone_aircraft_testing_hero.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

With hundreds of thousands of privately-owned drones zipping around the world's airways, it's only a matter of time before a UAV collides with an airplane in flight and causes serious problems. So to figure how bad something like this would actually be, the [British government is taking drones](<https://www.theverge.com/2016/10/18/13314916/drone-crash-airplane-test-uk-dangers>), and well, flying them into airplanes.

The tests are being paid for by the United Kingdom's Department for Transport, and will be performed by UK-based defense and [aerospace technology company Quinetiq](<https://www.theverge.com/2016/10/18/13314916/drone-crash-airplane-test-uk-dangers>). The British Civil Aviation Authority, the agency that regulates drone usage, said the tests will primarily be used to show how [drones could damage an airplane's fuselage](<https://www.theverge.com/2016/10/18/13314916/drone-crash-airplane-test-uk-dangers>), *The Verge* reports. The trials will reportedly be performed on the ground and with military airplanes instead of commercial jets.

British officials have allocated more than [$307, 500](<https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3842316/Drones-crashed-passenger-jets-mid-air-test-safety-string-near-misses-near-airports.html>) for the tests, the *Daily Mail* reports. A complete report with the contractor's findings will be released by the end of 2016.

"The testing of potential collision impacts between a drone and a fixed wing aircraft is currently being [carried out on behalf of the UK Ministry of Defense](<https://www.theverge.com/2016/10/18/13314916/drone-crash-airplane-test-uk-dangers>)," a CAA spokesperson said to *The* *Verge*. "The findings of this research is expected to be published when completed."

Currently, it is unclear when or where the tests will be performed, or specifically what type of equipment will be tested. As for location, Qinetiq has a facility with [5,000 square miles of space in Snowdonia, Wales](<https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3842316/Drones-crashed-passenger-jets-mid-air-test-safety-string-near-misses-near-airports.html>), which sounds like it could do the trick.

As of now, there have been [three confirmed crashes](<https://www.easa.europa.eu/system/files/dfu/TF%20Drone%20Collision_Report%20for%20Publication%20%28005%29.pdf>) drone-airplane crashes in Europe—all of which occurred with small airplanes and resulted in little damage.

In 2015, America's Federal Aviation Authority released a report that showed there were 678 times when pilots saw drones in the sky, some of those being rather close calls—though these numbers were later found to be [slightly stretched](<https://www.modelaircraft.org/gov/docs/AMAAnalysis-Closer-Look-at-FAA-Drone-Data_091415.pdf>). As *The Verge* notes, the Academy of Model Aeronautics reported that only 3.5 percent of the pilot drone spots were close shaves. Also, some of those "drone" sightings were actually originally reported to be a "mini blimp," "a large vulture," and "a UFO."

In a [report released earlier in October](<https://www.easa.europa.eu/document-library/general-publications/study-and-recommendations-regarding-unmanned-aircraft-system>), the European Aviation Safety Agency said that with drones under 3.3 pounds—which most toy and hobby drones fall under—aircraft damage would likely be relatively slim and fatalities unlikely. Still, it's better to be sure than sorry—so we're glad the Brits are testing this out firsthand.

## Author
Aaron was previously a contributing writer with Jalopnik and has also written for Business Insider covering cars. When he's not in the office writing the news, you'll probably find him thrashing a beater car around a RallyCross.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/aaronmaxb>)  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/aaronmaxb>)