Drone Incidents With U.S. Jetliners Are on the Decline
- Trend began in 2019 before pandemic reduced air traffic
- Documenting flights over prisons, encounters with airliners
An aircraft approaches the tarmac at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago.
Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg
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Reports of jetliner encounters and other drone-safety episodes in the U.S. have fallen over the past two years, possibly because of software improvements and efforts to educate users about proper use of the consumer devices.
There were 1,633 drone-safety reports in 2020, the lowest total in five years, according to Federal Aviation Administration data.