Air ambulance nearly collides with drone in Scotland

The helicopter was within 100 to 150 metres of the device when a paramedic spotted the drone from the pilot's window during the flight. The pilot was talking to Edinburgh Approach at the time and didn't see it.

The incident is detailed in a report from the UK Airprox Board. The report says: "The EC135 pilot reports being on the return leg to base from a HEMS task after dropping the patient at hospital. Approaching the Kelty VRP at 1500ft QNH they were talking to Edinburgh Approach when the front seat paramedic gesticulated and pointed out of the pilot’s window.

"The pilot did not see the conflict but both front and rear paramedics confirmed it as a quadcopter-type drone which passed down the right-hand side of the aircraft at between 100m and 150m distance, and only slightly below their level. There was no time for avoiding action, the threat had passed before they would have had time to react. The encounter was reported to Edinburgh Approach before leaving the frequency."

The report concludes that ‘safety had been reduced’ during the incident, but there had been no risk of a collision. It added: "The controller informed the next aircraft that was routing via Kelty of the drone report. On passing Kelty, the pilot reported no obvious sign of any drone-type aircraft.”

Recently, another UK air ambulance has come within a few yards of colliding with a drone as it sought to land at a London hospital.