German Bus Driver Kicks Down Explosive Drone at NATO Hub Airport

Q: What really happened to the diverted DHL flight that struck an unknown object during the airport's drone chaos?

What is publicly known is that the diverted DHL flight was not brought down and landed safely in Hanover after a go-around at Leipzig/Halle, but investigators still have not established exactly what it struck. German authorities say the cargo aircraft aborted its landing because the runway was closed during the drone security incident. As it climbed away, it hit an unidentified object in mid-air. Officials later found only minor damage, mainly to the aircraft’s forward or nose section, during inspection in Hanover. No injuries were reported. The central unresolved issue is whether that object was a bird, debris, or a second drone. Saxony authorities and federal investigators have treated it seriously enough to describe it as a “suspected second unidentified flying object,” and they have said they were searching for parts of a possible second drone. Several reports place the impact during the aircraft’s initial climb, shortly after the aborted landing. So the short answer is: the DHL flight appears to have suffered a limited mid-air impact, diverted as a precaution, and landed safely, but the object it hit remains officially unidentified. Investigators are examining whether it was linked to the explosives-laden drone found near the runway, yet no public proof has been released confirming that connection.

3 articles · Updated · South China Morning Post · Aug 7

Late Tuesday at Leipzig/Halle airport, a bus driver spotted a low-flying drone in a restricted area and kicked it out of the air, causing it to crash nearby.
Federal prosecutors said the drone carried professional explosives and a detonator, and opened a counterterrorism investigation into what they called a serious attack with potential domestic and foreign security implications.
Detlef Seif, a senior lawmaker from the governing CDU, said the driver's intervention may have prevented an attack and described it as courageous but dangerous.
Authorities have not identified the driver or explained where the drone came from or how it penetrated the airport, whose incursion was first reported Wednesday.
Leipzig/Halle is a major cargo hub for DHL and the main base for NATO's SALIS airlift operation, which uses Antonov aircraft to support the alliance's eastern flank.