Drone Fragment Found on Plane That Landed at Rio’s Galeão

Overview

• A fragment compatible with a drone part was found on Aerolíneas Argentinas flight AR‑1268 after it landed at Galeão on June 1 and the piece was located near engine number 2.
• The airline’s maintenance team reported the finding to RIOgaleão, which notified the Centro de Investigação e Prevenção de Acidentes Aeronáuticos (CENIPA) for technical data collection.
• CENIPA applied international and national protocols (Annex 19 and NSCA 3‑13), classified the occurrence as an aviation incident, and said the available evidence did not justify a formal investigation.
• Authorities reported the aircraft landed normally with no injuries or damage to third parties and that no authorized drone flights were recorded in the airport area on the day of the event.
• The case underscores the operational risk posed by unauthorized drones near airports and could prompt closer monitoring of drone authorizations and ground checks by airlines and airport operators.