Airbus A319 narrowly avoids unidentified disc near Gatwick

A commercial airliner narrowly avoided a collision with an unidentified disc-shaped object while approaching London Gatwick Airport in late April, according to an official safety report. The incident, detailed in a recently published investigation by the UK Airprox Board, is one of several recent close encounters between aircraft and unknown objects in British airspace that have raised safety concerns.

The pilot of an Airbus A319 reported seeing a "disc or flying saucer type" object pass within an estimated 100 to 300 feet of the aircraft's right wing at approximately 8,500 feet of altitude. The encounter occurred at 11:30 a.m. on April 29 as the jet was descending and turning left over the Sussex countryside near the village of Hangcross. The pilot described the object as having darker markings on its rim and suspected it might be a drone, but could not be certain. No evasive action was taken as the aircraft was already in a turn. The Airprox Board later concluded that while there was no direct risk of collision, the safety of the aircraft had been "reduced" during the encounter.

Investigators cross-referenced the sighting with radar data but were unable to identify the object....