WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Federal Aviation Administration is checking out a possible drone strike involving a JetBlue Airways passenger plane as it was nearing New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. This could be one of the first confirmed cases of a drone hitting a U.S. commercial airliner.
The pilot of JetBlue Flight 948, an Airbus A321 coming from Las Vegas, reported hitting a drone at about 3,000 feet while making its final approach around 7:15 a.m. local time.
Air traffic control recordings picked up the pilot informing the controllers that the object hit the plane just above the cockpit. Fortunately, the aircraft landed safely at JFK six minutes later.
JetBlue mentioned that passengers got off the plane normally, and the aircraft was taken out of service for an inspection. According to the airline, the inspectors didn't find any damage or signs of a collision but are ready to help with the FAA's investigation.
The suspected incident happened roughly 10 to 12 miles north of JFK, close to Sea Bright, as shown by flight-tracking data.
Drones aren't allowed to operate near airports, yet the FAA gets about 100 reports of drone sightings each month. If this incident is confirmed, it would mark one of the first known collisions with a U.S. commercial passenger plane. Flying drones without permission can lead to hefty fines and even criminal charges, including jail time.
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