Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Conflict NMAC
General None Reported / Taken
Airspace Structure
Quad copter drone passed inside 50 feet of right wing while we were limping out of SJC at 11;000 feet 8 miles southeast turning north.We need more effective Drone restrictions.
It passed very slightly high; approximately five feet above us with a distance no greater than our right wing tip. We had absolutely no time to react. From the time we first saw it to the time it was upon us was less than 2 seconds. It was a grey or white 4 rotor 'X' shaped drone. The size of the aircraft is difficult to determine; but it was definitely larger than any bird you would normally see including the largest goose. I am extremely glad we didn't hit it. Drone flying is continuing to pose a threat to aviation. In this case; it was flying at night over a huge metropolitan area. If this aircraft; and drones are exactly that; would have hit us; the results could have been catastrophic. Regulations are going to have to be put into place and enforced. History has shown us that air to air collisions do not end well.
Flight crew climbing out of SJC suffered an NMAC with a large four rotor UAV drone.