Airline pilot approaching San Diego airport reports seeing drone, but doesn’t strike it
By Karen Kucher
Published on April 29, 2026.
The pilot of a United Airlines plane heading to San Diego International Airport reported seeing a drone flying around 1,000 feet below the plane, but did not strike it. The confusion arose from radio communication between the pilot and ground control. The airline initially stated that United Flight 1980 had reported a possible drone strike prior to arriving in San Diego. However, a revised statement later issued by the airline deleted the word "strike" and stated that the flight landed safely and no damage was found. The Federal Aviation Administration was notified of the incident and alerted other pilots but no additional reports of a drone being seen.
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