Air Force One nearly hit by drone while Donald Trump was on board
- Small device, which was yellow and black and shaped like a cross, was spotted by several passengers just before aircraft touched down on Sunday
- Most civilian drones weigh only a few kilograms and probably could not take down a airliner, though they could damage an engine or shatter a cockpit windscreen
US President Donald Trump’s plane was nearly hit by what appeared to be a small drone as it approached an airport near Washington on Sunday night, according to several people aboard Air Force One.
The device, which was yellow and black and shaped like a cross, was off the right side of the plane. It was seen by several passengers on the aircraft shortly before the plane touched down at 5.54pm.
The Secret Service did not immediately respond on Monday to a request to confirm the reports. The North American Aerospace Defence Command, which coordinates air security issues in North America, referred questions to the Secret Service. The Federal Aviation Administration referred questions on the matter to the Air Force.
While it has been notoriously difficult for aviation safety investigators to verify such fleeting events, it appears to be among the thousands of such safety incidents involving unmanned devices in the US that have prompted calls by law enforcement and homeland security agencies for greater measures to rein in their use.
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Most civilian drones weigh only a few kilograms and probably could not take down a jetliner. But government research suggests the damage could be greater than that from a similar-sized bird, which could shatter a cockpit windscreen or damage an engine.
Trump was flying in the modified Boeing 757 that is among the fleet of aircraft known as Air Force One when the president is aboard.