Transport Canada is looking for the owner of a drone that could have done some major damage to a commercial plane.
The drone was spotted more than 1 km above the Galeries D'Anjou by an Air Canada pilot on Thursday April 13.
The Air Canada Jazz flight en route from Newfoundland was landing at Trudeau Airport when the quadcopter came dangerously close to the plane -- close enough for the pilot to identify the specific type of drone.
The discussion of the wayward drone was recorded and obtained by CTV Montreal.
"Just to let you know... there was a drone at 4,000 feet on the final... The drone was like a DJI Phantom. I don't know if that means something to you," said the pilot.
"Oh yeah, the Phantom drone? Yeah yeah," replied the air traffic controller.
DJI drones with the most current software updates are programmed not to fly that high, but it is possible to alter that programming.
A similar incident happened just a couple of days ago near Ottawa's airport.
Both of the planes landed safely, but it is a concern since a study out of Virginia Tech found that if a drone and plane were to meet it could destroy the plane's engine in seconds.
Transport Canada recently announced new safety rules that prohibit the use of recreational drones above 90 metres, and within 9 kilometres of an airport or heliport. That makes flying a drone throughout most of the Island of Montreal, Laval, and large swathes of the lower Laurentians and South Shore illegal.
Anyone caught flying a drone in a restricted airspace could be fined up to $3,000 and face criminal charges.
Transport Canada is asking anyone with information about this near miss and the drone's owner to call Montreal police.
