A JetBlue Airways flight reported colliding with a drone while landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Monday morning. The aircraft landed safely with no damage.
8:11 PM
A JetBlue Airways flight reported striking a drone while making its final approach to John F. Kennedy International Airport on Monday morning, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The pilot of JetBlue Flight 948, traveling from Las Vegas to New York, reported the collision at approximately 3,000 feet altitude around 7:15 a.m. ET. According to air traffic control audio, the pilot told controllers: "We collided with a drone back there in the turn. It hit us right above the cockpit."
The incident occurred about two miles before the aircraft was cleared to land. The plane landed without incident shortly after the report, and passengers were safely deplaned before the aircraft was removed from service for inspection.
An inspection of the aircraft upon landing revealed no damage to the plane, according to JetBlue and the FAA. The airline stated that safety is its first priority and said it would assist with any relevant investigations.
It is currently unknown who was operating the drone in the restricted airspace surrounding the airport. The size, model, and current whereabouts of the drone have not been released.
The FAA has launched a full investigation into the incident. This collision comes several days after the crew of a separate flight reported spotting a drone on approach to a nearby airport in the New York area.
A skydiving plane crashed Sunday near Butler Memorial Airport in Missouri, killing all 12 people aboard, including the pilot and 11 passengers.
Boeing 767 arriving from Venice hit pole on New Jersey Turnpike during final approach Sunday; aircraft landed safely with 231 aboard.
A Frontier Airlines Airbus A321neo struck a pedestrian during takeoff Friday night, causing a brief engine fire that forced the aircraft to abort its flight to Los Angeles.
Joby Aviation and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey are launching a pilot program of electric vertical takeoff and landing flights.
Michael Mott, 41, was struck by a departing Frontier Airlines plane Friday after breaching the runway fence.
A Chicago-to-Minneapolis flight was rerouted to Wisconsin after an unruly passenger repeatedly tried to enter the cockpit. No injuries were reported.
