United pilot reports midair drone scare near airport during landing approach
A United Airlines crew reported spotting a small drone thousands of feet above ground during descent
A United Airlines pilot reported a potential collision with a drone Wednesday morning while approaching its destination at San Diego International Airport, according to a flight audio recording.
The flight, a Boeing 737 that departed from San Francisco, reportedly struck the object at an altitude of roughly 3,000 to 4,000 feet — well above the elevation typically permitted for drones under federal regulations.
"We hit a drone at around 3,000 feet," the pilot said, according to a recording with air traffic controllers posted by ATC.com and shared on social media.
He added that the incident occurred as the plane was approaching landing.
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A United Airlines passenger plane flies over the sky near San Francisco, California, United States, on October 7, 2022. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
The airline told FOX Business the plane did report a drone encounter, but the company could not confirm whether it struck the device.
"United flight 1980 reported a potential drone prior to arriving in San Diego," the company said.
"While approaching San Diego International Airport at about 4,000 feet altitude, the crew of United Airlines Flight 1980 told air traffic control they believed they saw a drone 1,000 feet below them," the Federal Aviation Administration added in a statement to FOX Business.
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A drone is flying over the hills during sunset. (iStock)
According to the audio recording, the pilot described the object as a very small, red, shiny drone heading west.
The reported collision did not appear to affect the flight, which was carrying 48 passengers and six crew members, the company said.
United Airlines said the flight landed safely and passengers deplaned normally at the gate.
Maintenance crews also found no damage from the reported collision following a thorough inspection of the aircraft.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAL | UNITED AIRLINES HOLDINGS INC. | 88.62 | -1.79 | -1.98% |
The FAA added that no other nearby pilots reported seeing a drone.
"Air traffic control alerted other pilots but did not receive any additional drone-sighting reports," the agency said.
A United Airlines plane takes off from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) in San Francisco, California, United States on March 23, 2026. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
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Drone operations, especially near an airport, are strictly regulated by the FAA.
Depending on the location, drones operating without a waiver are prohibited from flying within several miles of an airport, with altitude limits that typically cap operations at just a few hundred feet.