Police Helicopter Chasing Drones Near US Air Base in Near Miss with F-15

A police helicopter reported a near miss with a drone that was in fact a US jet fighter, a report said. The helicopter had been sent to the area around RAF Lakenheath, in Suffolk, last November following reports of unmanned aerial vehicles in the area.

The UK Airprox Board, which investigates near misses, concluded the pilot had misidentified red flashing lights belonging to an F-15 Eagle.

The National Police Air Service (NPAS), which operated the helicopter, said there had been no risk of collision.

The helicopter crew spotted the lights as they entered Lakenheath's airspace and then headed towards Bury St Edmunds.

"Once they started heading in a westerly direction one of the 'drones' appeared to converge with them and fly above and in front of them," the report said.

At one point the object appeared to overtake the helicopter. The pilot assessed the risk of collision as "medium".

The two aircraft at one point came within 1,900 ft (579 m) of each other.

Investigators highlighted how the crew on board the helicopter had not been told by RAF Lakenheath of the F-15's presence.

The fighter pilot knew where the helicopter was but

"it may have been particularly beneficial for the situational awareness of the EC135 pilot if the Lakenheath Approach Controller had passed reciprocal traffic information to them".

Source: BBC