A United plane reported a near-collision with a drone on Wednesday morning. Al Drago/Getty Images

A United Airlines crew reported a near-collision with a drone over California on Wednesday.

ATC tapes reveal the pilot said the drone was at 3,000 feet and "red" and "shiny."

Regulators have strict rules for flying UAVs around airports, as an incident could be catastrophic.

The pilots of a United Airlines Boeing 737 on Wednesday reported a near-collision with a drone during approach into San Diego, the airline confirmed to Business Insider.

The plane departed San Francisco around 7 a.m. local time, carrying 48 passengers and 6 crew members.…