Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 181; Flight Crew Total 864; Flight Crew Type 498
Situational Awareness
Conflict NMAC; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Human Factors
The problem was a near mid air collision with small drone at 6500 MSL that appeared to be moving southerly while my airplane was flying a magnetic heading of 200 approximately. Our lateral separation was between 150-200 feet. We were in the immediate vicinity of LAS; almost directly above the approach end of Runway 26L. The drone was yellow in color and circular; at most 3 feet in diameter; and did not appear fixed wing. It appeared to have some kind of design/camera at its center. We were receiving radar vectors from Las Vegas TRACON. I was scanning visually while my student was under the view limiting device. We made no evasive action; there was merely a second between the time I saw the drone and it's passing of our position. I queried Las Vegas Approach if there was any drone activity in the area; they responded there was not; I then proceeded to describe the situation; to which they asked questions regarding the drone's altitude and flight path; and prior to our hand off they said they had made a report. This near mid air collision was no fault of Las Vegas Approach or my own; rather the drone operator who violated the airspace.
C172 flight instructor reported a NMAC with a UAV at 6500 in the vicinity of LAS airport.