by Donald Wood
Last updated: 5:15 PM ET, Fri April 24, 2015
The use of unmanned drones has increased as technology has become more affordable, but many issues have arisen in recent months, including the remote-controlled aircrafts coming far too close to passenger airplanes.
According to ABC News affiliate WJLA.com, the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating an incident that took place Thursday morning in which a plane landing at Washington Dulles International Airport in Dulles, Virginia, was in close proximity to an unmanned drone.
At around 11 a.m. local time, a pilot aboard Trans States Airlines Flight 3340 reported to the FAA that he saw a drone "flying at an altitude of about 1,000 feet and was roughly three to four miles from the airport."
The report claims the aircraft was an Embraer E145 and was able to make its expected landing without incident. While the investigation at Dulles Airport did not cause any major issues, there have been a rising number of issues associated with drones sighted near airports.
England's Manchester Airport was forced to divert four flights and close a runway while authorities investigated a drone appearance on Monday, according to Ben Farmer of the Telegraph.
There are legitimate safety and security concerns regarding drones taking photographs or videos near airports and even possibly hitting a passenger aircraft. Despite the issues, the increasingly affordable remote-controlled machines have become more and more popular.
With the number of incidents on the rise, it's a matter of time before the FAA has to act on the issues the drones are causing. Running an airport is a delicate process, and constant disruptions due to drone activity will be bad for business.
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