Drone flew 30 metres from airliner at Manchester airport

A drone was flown just 30 metres from a Boeing 757 jet near Manchester airport, according to an official near-miss report. The pilot of the airliner "expressed his surprise" after spotting the object shortly after take-off, the UK Airprox Board (UKAB) said. He was turning right at an altitude of 450 metres (1,500ft) – a "critical phase of flight" – when the incident occurred. The report stated that the drone was "extremely close to the aircraft", passing just 15 metres above and 30 metres to the left. Experts "quickly agreed that there had been a definite risk of collision" and the incident was put in the most serious risk category.