World

Drone believed to hit plane on approach to Heathrow

/ CBS/AP

Plane allegedly crashes into drone during landing in London

LONDON-- Police say a British Airways flight from Geneva hit an object believed to be adrone while on approach to London's Heathrow Airport.

The airline says the plane landed safely Sunday afternoon and has been cleared for its next flight.

A British Airways spokesman told the BBC: "Our aircraft landed safely, was fully examined by our engineers and it was cleared to operate its next flight."

No arrests have been made and police are investigating the incident.

A Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) spokesman told the BBC it is "totally unacceptable" to fly drones close to airports, and anyone flouting the rules can face "severe penalties, including imprisonment."

The Airbus A320 was carrying 132 passengers and five crew members.

Aviation authorities have expressed concern about the risk posed by the increasing number of drones.

First published on April 17, 2016 / 4:33 PM EDT

© 2016 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.