EasyJet plane travelling at 300mph in near miss with drone flying 16ft away

Safety officials say there was serious risk of collison over Sussex

The plane had just taken off from Gatwick (AFP via Getty Images)

A mid-air crash was narrowly avoided when a passenger plane flying over East Sussex came as close as 16ft to a suspected illegal drone, a report reveals.

The easyJet Airbus A320 was 5,000ft above ground, having taken off from Gatwick Airport, when the pilots spotted the object nearby.

Safety officials recorded it as a category A incident – the highest level of five, which meant there had been a serious risk of collision.