A Cessna 172 was significantly damaged after hitting a police drone while on approach to Buttonville Airport in Toronto on Aug. 10. A CADORS report said the aircraft had an instructor and student on board and had turned from base to final when it was jolted by a collision. The occupants assumed they’d hit a bird and continued with the landing but they were surprised with what they found after they got out.
The drone, which was being used by York Regional Police in an operation, crumpled the underside of the cowling and bent the airbox. The propeller also was damaged and the prop strike will require the engine to be dismantled and inspected. There were no injuries. Transport Canada has classified the incident as an unauthorized entry of the drone into controlled airspace and said Nav Canada was unaware the drone was operating in the area. The drone was likely an Aeryon Skyranger which is a quadcopter that weighs about 4.5 kilograms.