LYON—French air safety investigation bureau BEA has started an investigation after an Emirates-operated Airbus A380 was found damaged following its arrival at Nice Airport from an apparent in-flight collision.
During the A380’s approach to Nice Airport Aug. 18, the crew "heard an abnormal noise and felt slight vibrations," a BEA summary of the incident said. That happened as pilots were switching to the CONF 1 configuration, which extends leading-edge slats. The crew continued the approach and landed safely.
On the ground, the upper part of slat number 2, located inboard on the right wing, was found "severely damaged," the summary said. The slat was replaced and the repair was carried out within 48 hr., according to local newspaper Nice-Matin.
The event, which BEA categorized as an accident, happened at the end of an otherwise routine trip from Dubai. The BEA's preliminary summary does not include any analysis of the damage or discuss possible causes.
Several reports have speculated that the A380 collided with a drone.
Investigators will likely be able to pinpoint the cause. Emirates’ A380s are equipped with tail-mounted cameras. Their field of view includes inboard slats.
Investigators also will examine the damaged parts for clues, such as bird remains or paint chips, left behind by whatever struck the aircraft. They may also ask passengers if they saw anything unusual during the approach.
Investigation reports involving collisions or near-misses with unmanned air systems are rare in BEA’s archive. In February 2016, the crew of an Air France A320 reported a near-miss while on approach to Paris Charles-de-Gaulle, at an altitude of 5,400 ft. The round-shape drone was seen 30 m (100 ft.) below the Airbus.
In July 2016, the crew of an Air France A319 reported a near-miss with a drone at 2,000 ft., also on approach to Paris Charles-de-Gaulle. A swept-wing drone crossed at an estimated 5 m.
Despite police investigations, neither the drones nor the pilots could be identified.
Regardless of the Nice accident's cause, drone collision risks have been a source of worry for regulators and first responders again this summer.
The Nice investigations are taking place as firefighters around the world are concerned unruly drone pilots may jeopardize their operations, or at least hamper their efforts to put out summer blazes.
In the U.S., the Washington State Department of Natural Resources posted a strongly worded tweet asking pilots to stop flying drones near wildfires. “Air crews had to leave the Iron Creek Fire in June due to a drone in the area,” the department said.
In Canada, civil aviation authority Transport Canada reminded drone pilots to “keep their aircraft out of the sky if in the vicinity of active wildfires.” Canadian rules set a 5 nm. perimeter around a forest fire, within which a permission is required to fly a drone. Before flying a drone, the pilot should check the absence of smoke plumes or active forest fires nearby, using local information and a website dedicated to drone users, Transport Canada says.
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