United says no evidence of drone strike on SFO flight after midair scare

A United Airlines flight from San Francisco that initially reported a possible drone strike before landing in San Diego this week showed no signs of damage, and officials later said there was no evidence an impact occurred.

United Flight 1980, a Boeing 737 carrying 48 passengers and six crew members, landed safely Wednesday morning at San Diego International Airport. Passengers deplaned normally, the airline said.

In an updated statement, United said there was "no indication that the aircraft struck the drone or vice-versa," revising its earlier description of a possible drone strike.

Federal officials offered a narrower account.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the crew told air traffic control they believed they saw a drone about 1,000 feet below the aircraft during its approach. Controllers alerted other pilots but received no additional reports.

Audio posted online appeared to capture a pilot reporting the plane had hit an object midair.

"We hit a drone at around, probably around 3,000 feet," he said.

When asked for details, the pilot was unsure what the object was.

"It was so small, I couldn't tell," he said. "It was red. It was shiny."

The aircraft was inspected after landing and cleared to continue service to Houston.

"While approaching San Diego International Airport at about 4,000 feet altitude, the crew of United Airlines Flight 1980 told air traffic control they believed they saw a drone 1,000 feet below them," an FAA spokesperson said in a statement. "Air traffic control alerted other pilots but did not receive any additional drone-sighting reports."

The FBI told NBC San Diego it was investigating the incident.

"FBI San Diego is aware of reports of an alleged drone flying approximately 12 miles from San Diego International Airport this morning," the agency said in a statement provided to the station Wednesday. "At this time, there are no safety concerns for the public."

It added, "If there is a violation of federal law within the FBI's authorities, we will follow the facts wherever they may lead."

Reports of drones near airports have raised safety concerns in recent years, though confirmed midair collisions involving commercial aircraft remain rare.

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This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 10:37 AM.