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Envoy Air Flight 3961 Suspected Drone Strike Was Actually A Balloon

Soumis
 
The FAA has confirmed that an incident involving an Envoy Air aircraft which was reportedly struck by a drone was actually the result of a balloon. (www.gatechecked.com) Plus d'info...

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shenghaohan
Shenghao Han 5
I suspect the damage was unrelated to the strike. But on the other hand a tiny pebble can chip a wond shield at highway speeds, so a balloon with a little plastic bits at the end (the ring for kids to hold on) might do similar if not worse damage
locomoco
M.F. LaBoo 5
The incident involved a balloon, yet the whole article is about drones.

I have to chuckle about drone manufacturers programming altitude limits into their control ware in an effort to address drone strikes near airports. They don't seem to realize that drone (or bird, etc) strikes at low altitude on climb out or final approach are the problematic ones. A CYA move, it seems to me.
jmilleratp
jmilleratp 1
I thought that newer GPS-enabled drones have it so that they will not operate if you are in controlled airspace.
sparkie624
sparkie624 6
It says in the article it only had Minor Damage and continued on the next morning? What kind of damage could a Mylar Balloon cause other than maybe ingested into an Engine? Starting to make me wonder how sturdy the E-175 a/c really is?
KenWD0ELQ
Ken Mitchell 5
Damage? Chipped paint? Doesn't take much mass to chip paint at those speeds.
KicksOnRoute66
Roger Anderson 3
Maybe it was really big, and I guess with those speeds. Who knows.
Cleffer
Cleffer 3
175's have great track records. Seems very odd that a balloon would do that at any speed with aerodynamics in play.
rseery
Robert Seery 0
Actually, metalized (shiny) Mylar balloons are a menace. They cause a lot of problems with aerial power delivery systems as they conduct electricity. In this case, if they 'felt' the strike, I think the balloon had some sort of solid payload.
AZAFVET
Wayne Fox 1
When I was in the USAF working ECM systems, we had "war chaff" to be dropped as required during wartime. Part of this package was big spools of Mylar similar to cassette tapes only thinner, to be dropped across electrical power lines to deactivate them.
dlanderson51
Weather balloon? The instrumentation payload could do some damage.
withersfamily
Lee Withers 3
Could it be something could have been attached to the ballon? Maybe something plastic, those balloons can lift some small stuff.
bobinson66
bobinson66 1
Just for context, Mythbusters did a episode in 2004 and found that it would take around 3500 helium balloons to lift a 44 pound child.

https://mythbusters.fandom.com/wiki/Carried_Away_Myth
dlanderson51
Weather balloon? Instrumentation payload could leave damage.
AZAFVET
Wayne Fox 1
I know that the drone wasn't mine. I had exactly one flight and it went immediately into my swimming pool never to fly again. I have taken flight lessons, just not with drones.
Viperguy46
Jesse Carroll -1
Ban all balloons within a 10 mile radius of all airports!
Pelosi says so!

[This comment has been downvoted. Show anyway.]

ghstark
Greg S 3
"Sounds like someone pushed the 'Fool Button'? "

Impossible, you would never have given it up.

Quirkyfrog
Robert Cowling -2
However, I remember seeing the Envoy plane that hit the ice storm. (It was Envoy, wasn't it? I remember it looked like the whole nose was caved in. And being at flight levels, hitting *something* could be a bad career move)

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