United flight from SFO reports possible drone strike at 3,000 feet

A United Airlines flight from San Francisco reported a possible drone strike shortly before landing in San Diego early Wednesday, though the airline said a post-flight inspection found no damage to the plane.

United Flight 1980, a Boeing 737 traveling from San Francisco International Airport to San Diego, landed safely and passengers exited normally at the gate, the airline said.

The flight was carrying 48 passengers and six crew members, according to United.

Flight tracking data from FlightAware shows the plane left SFO at 6:53 a.m. on Wednesday and arrived at the gate at San Diego International Airport at 8:28 a.m. The aircraft was listed as a Boeing 737-800.

An air traffic control recording posted online appeared to capture the pilot telling a dispatcher that the plane struck an object at about 3,000 feet during its approach. In the recording, the pilot said the object was "so small" and appeared "red" and "shiny."

Reports of drones near airports have raised safety concerns for years, though confirmed midair collisions involving commercial planes remain uncommon.

As of Wednesday morning, no federal agency had publicly released additional details about what the flight may have encountered on approach to San Diego.

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