An Emirates Airbus A380 collided with a drone in Nice, France on Friday just gone, and suffered damage to its wing as a result.
A6-EOM was the A380 that operated the EK77 rotation on Friday August 18 between Dubai and Nice.
According to @aviationbrk on Twitter, a section of the wing’s leading edge has been damaged, and the aircraft has been grounded until repairs can be made.
BEA Investigating the Incident Between a Drone & The Emirates A380 in Nice, France…
It is understood that the BEA, the aircraft accident investigators in France, are looking into this incident, which has caused damage to the Emirates A380 in Nice.
At the time of writing, they haven’t been able to confirm the occurrence of a drone, or whether something else has caused this damage to the jet, but indications are suggesting it is a drone collision with the jet.
If it is a drone, then there could be criminal penalties assigned to this, as drone usage around airports is typically prohibited, especially in France.
At this stage, all eyes will be on the BEA to see whether they can establish the cause of this damage, and if a drone is involved, who the owner of it actually is.
But for now, whilst the possibility of a drone is still valid, all eyes will be on the BEA in its reports to establish the overall cause.
This is a developing story. More to follow in due course as we receive updates.
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