A police helicopter was forced to cut short a mission after the pilot reported a dangerously close encounter with a drone, raising serious concerns about the safety of air operations in the area.
The incident occurred on November 22, when the National Police Air Service (NPAS) helicopter was dispatched to assist at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, following multiple sightings of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in the vicinity. However, flight data revealed that the aircraft made a series of sharp turns and climbed steeply while flying over the nearby town of Newmarket.
The NPAS, which operates the Airbus H135, confirmed the incident but withheld further comment, as the matter remains under investigation. A Freedom of Information (FOI) request to police revealed that the helicopter had withdrawn from the mission due to a drone coming “dangerously close” to the aircraft.
The helicopter, with registration G-POLJ, was one of several air units involved in a response to reports of drone sightings around RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, RAF Feltwell, and RAF Fairford. These sightings were also confirmed by the US Air Force, which reported the presence of several unmanned aerial systems in the area.
Although NPAS has video footage of the near miss, it has declined to release it for national security reasons, in response to a number of FOI requests. The near miss prompted an Airprox notification to be issued, a standard procedure when there is a potential risk to the safety of aircraft.
‘Emergency Evasive Action’ Taken
An FOI request to Norfolk and Suffolk Police detailed the helicopter’s log entry, which stated: “NPAS is withdrawing due to a drone coming close to them.” The request also revealed that between November 22 and 27, a total of 35 drone sightings were logged, many reported by members of the public.
Reports indicated that drones had been observed flying in loops near several military sites, including RAF Feltwell and Bodney Camp, and heading towards civilian areas like Sandringham and a nearby Center Parcs. One log entry even described a man who “grabbed the drone, got back in the car and roared off at speed,” although the exact date of this event remains unclear. In another bizarre twist, a final log entry referenced an informant’s belief that the US military had captured a UFO during the 1980s, after speaking to former USAF service members.
Stuart Onyeche, the aviation professional who filed the FOI request, voiced concerns about the public safety risks posed by drones operating in proximity to aircraft. “This raises obvious safety concerns for the public on the ground from the risk of collision above,” he told the reports. “The public are being kept in the dark about what happened, so we are being left to join dots and speculate.”
Suffolk Police has referred further inquiries to the Ministry of Defence, but as of yet, there has been no detailed comment on the situation.
This incident highlights the growing dangers posed by drones in areas with high air traffic, including military zones, and raises questions about the need for stricter regulations to protect both the public and aircrew from potential collisions.
