Drone Reported Flying Dangerously Close To Commercial Airliner East Of LAX
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — A drone was reported to have flown dangerously close to a commercial airliner not far from LAX this week.
According to LAX officials, a commercial pilot reported seeing a drone within 700 feet of the airliner, which was flying about 7 miles east of LAX, on Wednesday morning.
This morning, a commercial pilot reported a drone within 700 feet of the aircraft 7 miles east of LAX. This is exactly why operating a drone near airports or the stadium is dangerous and illegal. @FBILosAngeles @FAANews pic.twitter.com/MAyMgZ4qX4
— LAX Airport (@flyLAXairport) February 9, 2022
Drones are an ongoing safety concern for pilots and planes. This week, it's especially alarming because LAX is three miles from SoFi Stadium, where the Super Bowl will be played this Sunday.
During the Super Bowl, the FAA has announced it would enforce a 30-mile "no drone zone" around SoFi Stadium. The 30-mile zone, which extends in every direction from SoFi Stadium, stretches all the way out to the Pacific Ocean to the west, past Chino Hills State Park to the east, down to Newport Beach to the south, and covers most of metropolitan Los Angeles all the way to the San Gabriel Wilderness to the north.
"Because SoFi Stadium is so very close to LAX, and the aircraft are constantly landing almost right over the top of it, we have a real concern that we don't want any drones getting away from somebody, and potentially, interfering with an airplane that's trying to land," FAA drone expert Kevin Morris said.
Drone operators who violate the no-drone zone could have their drones confiscated, and face prosecution and civil penalties exceeding $30,000.