On November 30th, The Special Operations Unit of Metro Pol held a press conference regarding the AAIB (Air Accidents Investigation Branch) ongoing investigation of flight US 132 by British Transport Police. William Stuart, the representative of Metro Pol, confirmed the cause of the fault was damage by a drone collision at the press conference. An electrical short was a result of a small fire that disabled both engines on the US Airbus A360, which led to an emergency landing on the Thames last Tuesday. The only option was to have an emergency evacuation on the river Thames to avoid fatalities, which ended up being the safest decision as there were no severe casualties. Two passengers needed to be treated by paramedics with minor injuries, and only one passenger was taken to Queens Hospital in Romford due to chest pains.
At the press conference, Metro Pol shared that there are a few things they are focusing on at the moment. First, the organisation works hard to give all its support and safety to passengers by providing domestic services to those at home in the UK and monitoring people with drones. Second, Metro Pol prioritises removing fuel tonks from the water to minimise any environmental impact after the plane accident.
The investigation of flight US 132 is still ongoing. Metro Pol reported that two people were arrested, and both were questioned as they were involved in the drone collision. The drone itself was bought in the Essex shop named ‘WixStore’. These types of drones are mainly used for civilian purposes, stated William Stuart. The police don’t know yet was the motive of that act or if it related to a terrorist attack. As for why no one could prevent the drone from being on the territory, Metro Pol said that ‘people were using the drone way far from the airport. Therefore, it was unable to control’.
Next, for the investigation, is to verify all details of the plane accident and see the whole picture. Then, the police will tell when they would share facts of the case with the public. Metro Pol shared that they do not take it as another situation, and they are even more determined not to let this accident happen again. However, at this stage, nothing is clear yet. Many details need to be investigated. Further information is yet to come.