Overview
- United Flight 1980, which was approaching San Diego on Wednesday morning, reported a very small red object the crew described as a drone at about 3,000 feet.
- The Boeing 737 landed safely with 48 passengers and six crew, and a post‑flight inspection found no damage.
- United later said there was no indication the aircraft actually struck an object, revising the initial radio report heard on air‑traffic recordings.
- The FAA opened an investigation and said the crew reported a drone about 1,000 feet below them while they were at roughly 4,000 feet, which conflicts with the 3,000‑foot account on the tape.
- FBI San Diego said it is evaluating the report, and unauthorized drone flights near airports are illegal and can bring fines or criminal charges under rules that generally cap drones at 400 feet.