JetBlue Pilot Reports Drone Strike Near Kennedy Airport Days After Newark Drone Sighting
A JetBlue flight approaching Kennedy International Airport on Monday morning landed safely after its pilot reported that a drone had struck the plane, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
The flight, a red-eye from Las Vegas, was several miles from landing at around 7:15 a.m. when the reported collision occurred. The aircraft was flying at about 3,000 feet at the time, according to the pilot’s account. No injuries were reported.
JetBlue said the plane landed without incident and that passengers left the aircraft normally after arrival. The airline later removed the plane from service for inspection but said it found no damage or evidence of a collision.
The F.A.A. and the F.B.I. are investigating the reported drone strike. In a statement, the F.B.I. asked anyone with information about unsafe drone flights to report it by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Later Monday, a helicopter pilot reported a separate close call near Kennedy Airport, telling air traffic controllers that a large remote-controlled plane had nearly struck his aircraft near Floyd Bennett Field.
“Just almost ran into a gigantic RC airplane right over there at Floyd Bennett,” the pilot said, according to the report. “A big one, at 500 feet.”
The F.A.A. said it was aware of the helicopter pilot’s report and had notified local authorities, though the agency said it was not investigating that matter at the time.
The reports came less than three days after a United Airlines crew spotted a drone while descending into Newark Liberty International Airport, another recent close call involving unmanned aircraft in the New York area.
That encounter happened Friday evening, when a United flight arriving from Key West International Airport in Florida was approaching Newark Liberty around 5:20 p.m., F.A.A. officials said. The Boeing 737 was carrying more than 100 passengers and five crew members.
The crew landed safely, and passengers disembarked without issue, the airline said. The F.A.A. had also said it would investigate that encounter.
Drone activity near airports is a recurring concern for federal aviation officials. The F.A.A. receives more than 100 reports each month of drones seen near airports and warns that flying drones near planes, helicopters, and airports is both dangerous and illegal.
The agency also launched a public safety campaign this month to inform drone operators about the risks of flying unmanned aircraft in restricted or unsafe airspace.
“Drone operators should avoid flying near airports because it is difficult for manned aircraft to see and avoid a drone while flying. Remember that drone operators must avoid manned aircraft and are responsible for any safety hazard their drone creates in an airport environment.”
ABC News contributor and aviation expert John Nance said the danger is not limited to a direct collision. Because drones are generally not equipped with transponders, he said, pilots and controllers cannot reliably track them unless they are spotted visually.
“The fact is that people are still not following the rules and all it takes is one to end up wrecking an engine or impacting a cockpit,” Nance said.
Nance said the lack of onboard detection equipment makes it especially important for drone operators to avoid airports and flight paths.
“Drones simply do not carry transponders. It has to do with the weight and the amount of equipment that you put on board. But the fact is, that makes it even more important that nobody operates one in the wrong place, close to an airport, especially at 3,000 feet.”
Interfering with the operation of an aircraft is a federal crime, and penalties can reach up to $100,000. The F.A.A. encourages people who witness unsafe drone activity near airports to report it.
Drones are generally permitted to fly up to 400 feet above ground level outside restricted airspace, far below the altitude reported in the JetBlue incident.
Moumita Basuroychowdhury is a Contributing Reporter at The National Digest. After earning an economics degree at Cornell University, she moved to NYC to pursue her MFA in creative writing. She enjoys reporting on science, business and culture news. You can reach her at moumita.b@thenationaldigest.com.
