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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Politics
John T Bennett

Air Force One with Trump on board nearly hit by drone, report says

Donald Trump boarding Air Force One in Charlotte, North Carolina (Picture: AFP via Getty Images)

Air Force One, with Donald Trump aboard, was nearly struck on Sunday night as it approached a military airport outside Washington, according to reports.

The aircraft appeared yellow and cross-shaped, and came near the executive jet around 5:54pm on Sunday, according to wire reports.

Mr Trump was returning from a long weekend at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf resort. He also visited his younger brother, Robert Trump, who passed away on Saturday night in a New York hospital.

The drone did not strike Air Force One.

Federal safety officials have struggled in investigating such events in the past.

One reason is that most commercial drones are small and weigh only a few pounds. Some military aircraft have been hit by them, but were not taken down or seriously damaged.

The remotely piloted aircraft are not supposed to fly higher than 400 feet.

As commercial drones became more and more affordable last decade, some aviation experts warned they would be hard for the government to regulate and prevent from causing havoc for large planes and helicopters.

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