JetBlue pilot reports hitting drone while landing at JFK International Airport
By Alexandra Skores, Pete Muntean, CNN
Washington, DC (CNN) — A JetBlue Airways passenger jet reported hitting a drone on Monday while preparing to land at John F. Kennedy International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The pilot aboard JetBlue Flight 948 reported the strike at approximately 3,000 feet in altitude while on final approach to the runway around 7:15 a.m. local time on Monday, the FAA told CNN in a statement.
“We are clear to land, 13 left,” the pilot told the tower in audio recorded by ATC.com. “Just quickly, I couldn’t talk to approach, but we collided with a drone back there in the turn.”
“You said you collided?” the controller asked.
The pilot confirmed, “Yep, it hit us right, right above the cockpit.”
The Airbus A321 was arriving from Las Vegas and safely landed minutes later at 7:21 a.m.
The aircraft was just north of the beach community of Sea Bright, roughly 10 to 12 miles away from JFK, at the time of the suspected strike, according to data from Flightradar24.
In a statement, JetBlue confirmed the flight landed without further incident.
“Customers deplaned normally and the plane was removed from service for a post-flight inspection, which found no damage or evidence of a collision,” the airline said. “Safety is JetBlue’s first priority, and we will assist with any relevant investigations.”
The FAA is investigating the incident.
If confirmed, it could be one of the first known collisions between a drone and a US commercial passenger plane.
Drones have, however, hit other aircraft. In January 2025, a civilian drone struck a CL-415 “Super Scooper” battling the Los Angeles wildfires, punching a hole in the wing, forcing the aircraft out of service and leading federal authorities to prosecute the drone operator.
Some other suspected strikes have turned out to be damage from birds or mechanical problems.
Drones are prohibited from flying around airports, however, the FAA receives about 100 reports of sightings a month.
Last week, a United Airlines pilot reported nearly colliding with one as his plane was coming in to land at Newark Liberty International Airport.
Drone flights are also often limited around emergency response operations, jails, wildfires and major gatherings, including the current World Cup games.
Unauthorized operators are subject to stiff fines and criminal charges, including possible jail time, the FAA said.
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