A new analysis by The Associated Press found that drones are posing increasing risks to airliners near major U.S. airports. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The U.S. Northern Command’s leader’s warnings about drone use by gangs on the border with Mexico this year is supported by a new analysis that has found unmanned aerial systems and vehicles also pose an increasing risk to airliners in the United States. There have been some close calls.
A commercial airliner was on final approach to San Francisco International Airport in November when the crew spotted a drone outside the cockpit window. By then it was too late “to take evasive action,” the pilots reported, and the quadcopter passed by their windshield, not 91 meters away. “The FAA recognizes that urgency, and we all know additional changes need to be made to allow the airports to go out and detect and mitigate where necessary,” said Hannah Thach, executive director of the partnership, known as Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence.
FAA says it is taking steps to improve safety
The FAA said it has taken steps to mitigate the risks of drones. It has prohibited nearly all drones from flying near airports without prior authorization, though such rules are difficult to enforce, and recreational users may not be aware of restrictions. The agency requires registrations for drones weighing more than 250 grams, and such drones are required to carry a radio transponder that identifies the drone’s owner and broadcasts its position to help avert collisions. Additional rules govern commercial drone use.
The agency has also been testing systems to detect and counter drones near airports. Among the methods being examined is using radio signals to jam drones or force them to land. Authorities also are weighing whether to deploy high-powered microwaves or laser beams to disable the machines.
Experts said the FAA and other authorities could do more. They suggested creating a system similar to speed cameras on roads that could capture a drone’s transponder code and send its pilots a ticket in the mail. They also said the FAA should consider regulations that require all manufacturers to program a drone’s GPS unit to prevent it from flying near airports and other sensitive areas, a method called “geofencing.”
Drone manufacturer ends mandatory ‘geofencing’
DJI, a leading drone maker, used such geofencing restrictions for years. Adam Welsh, head of global policy at DJI, said managing requests from authorized users to temporarily disable the geofencing became an increasingly time-consuming task. More than 1 million such requests were processed last year. “We had around-the-clock service, but the number of applications coming in were becoming really hard to handle,” Welsh said.
With no other manufacturers enabling geofencing, and without government rules requiring it, DJI decided to end the practice, he said. The FAA declined to say if it is considering whether to mandate geofencing.
Drone users can face consequences
Experts said authorities should take more aggressive action to hold drone users accountable for violating restricted airspace to highlight the problem and deter others from breaking the rules, pointing to recent arrests that they hoped might send such a message.
In December, for example, Boston police arrested two men who operated a drone that flew dangerously close to Logan International Airport. Police reported that they were able to find the drone flyers, in part, by tracking the aircraft thanks to its FAA-mandated transponder signal.
A month later, a small drone collided with a “Super Scooper” plane that was fighting wildfires raging through Southern California. The drone punched a hole in the plane’s left wing, causing enough damage that officials grounded the aircraft for several days to make repairs.
Authorities tracked down the 56-year-old drone operator, who pleaded guilty to a federal charge of recklessly flying his aircraft. The man, who has yet to be sentenced, admitted he launched his DJI quadcopter to observe fire damage over the Pacific Palisades neighborhood, despite the FAA having restricted drone flying in the area, according to court records.
Drones are also posing challenges for the U.S. military. The commander of the United States Northern Command and the North American Aerospace Defense Command told a congressional committee in April 2025 that he has requested permission to shoot down drones near the Mexico-U.S. border to counter the increasing use of them by criminal gangs. Gen. Gregory M. Guillot addressed the House Armed Services Committee, saying that drones used by cartels are jeopardizing security along the 3,145-kilometer border with Mexico.
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