Place
United Kingdom
51.15 N, 0.18 WView on OpenStreetMap (opens in a new tab)
4 events here, 2017 to 2020, in date order.
Gatwick Airport said a reported drone near the airfield led it to suspend runway operations twice in one evening, briefly each time, causing go-arounds and diversions of several easyJet and British Airways flights. Police investigated. It preceded the far larger December 2018 shutdown.
Reported drone sightings over the runway closed London Gatwick from the night of Dec. 19, 2018 into Dec. 21, disrupting tens of thousands of passengers. Sussex Police called it a deliberate act, and the Defence Secretary confirmed the Army was brought in to support police.
Sussex Police ended their inquiry into the December 2018 Gatwick shutdown, saying 109 of 129 drone sightings came from credible witnesses and at least two drones flew. With no realistic lines of enquiry left, no culprit was ever identified.
Paul Gait and Elaine Kirk, held for about 36 hours in December 2018 during the Gatwick drone hunt and never charged, sued Sussex Police for wrongful arrest and false imprisonment and were paid 200,000 pounds in compensation and legal costs.
