This morning, a United Airlines Boeing 737-800 reportedly had a collision with an unidentified drone while landing in San Diego, California. Just before landing at approximately 8:28 am, the flight’s pilots communicated to Air Traffic Control that they spotted a shiny red drone in their flight path, resulting in contact with the aircraft.
“United flight 1980 indicated a possible drone sighting just prior to reaching San Diego. The flight landed safely and passengers disembarked as scheduled at the gate. After a thorough inspection, our maintenance team reported no damage to the aircraft,” stated United Airlines in a press release regarding the event.
This aviation incident could have had far worse consequences! https://t.co/V2vlvU3xY6
— the Weatherboy (@theWeatherboy) April 29, 2026
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also issued a statement: “As United Airlines Flight 1980 approached San Diego International Airport at around 4,000 feet, the crew reported seeing a drone 1,000 feet beneath them. Air traffic control informed other pilots but did not receive further reports of drone sightings.”
At the time of the incident, there were 48 passengers and 6 crew members onboard. When fully seated, the aircraft can accommodate 16 passengers in first class and 150 in the economy section. The flight, which originated from San Francisco, landed in San Diego over 15 minutes early despite the drone strike.
The FAA is intensifying efforts to combat illegal drone activities near airports, which receive an average of hundreds of reports each month. For 2026, the agency has updated its enforcement policies to impose substantial fines and revoke licenses for those found illegally operating drones near commercial aircraft.
