Near Hit

Air Safety Week, Oct 18, 2004

The sequence of photos shows an approaching airliner in the distance, which gets closer and closer as the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) serenely maintains course over Kabul, Afghanistan. The jetliner, on approach to the airport, flashes by, in a near miss that might be more appropriately described as a "near hit". The jetliner's wake turbulence flipped the UAV into a dive, the last television picture transmitted from the UAV showing it plummeting nearly straight down into the dirt.

A few comments are in order regarding this Oct. 1 incident:

* The UAV driver on the ground was either inattentive or asleep at the wheel (screen).

* The incident makes one wonder why terrorists would need a shoulderlaunched missile, when they could mount a television camera in the nose of radio controlled (RC) model aircraft and head off for the nearest airport (the model airplane sporting a small explosive charge). Radio controlled model aircraft present the specter of cottage industry terrorism. Perhaps in addition to looking out for foreigners seeking flying training, the Federal Bureau of Investigation might prudently assign part-time undercover agents to RC model clubs. None of the proclaimed "detect and destroy" anti-missile systems for airliners would be able to cope with the all-hemisphere threat posed by an RC model. There are some very sophisticated high-performance RC models being flown by hobbyists and remote, pilot-aimed TV terminal guidance is certainly within the capabilities of hobbyists. There are even some commercial RC-model flying schools around, as well as some sophisticated kit-built RC model airplanes available for purchase.

* Finally, the incident over Kabul offers a good "heads up" regarding the validity of recently touted successes by the Federal Aviation Administration integrating unmanned air vehicles within air traffic systems. Maybe the procedures will work. Then again, maybe more of the Kabul-type close calls are in store. (For a detailed treatment of UAVs operating in civil airspace, see the October issue of sister publication, Avionics magazine. Here's one tidbit from the article by William Reynish: "In controlled airspace below 40,000 feet, regulatory authorities worldwide are expected to require UAVs to operate identically to manned aircraft. UAVs are to receive no special handling by air traffic controllers, who should not even need to know whether or not an aircraft is manned.")

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