JetBlue plane reports hitting drone during landing at New York airport

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JetBlue plane reports hitting drone during landing at New York airport

The aircraft was just north of Sea Bright, roughly 10 to 12 miles from JFK, at the time of the suspected strike, according to Flightradar24 data.

4 min readJun 30, 2026 11:07 AM IST

First published on: Jun 30, 2026 at 10:53 AM IST

A JetBlue Airways passenger jet reported hitting a drone. (File Photo)

A JetBlue Airways passenger jet reported striking a drone on Monday while preparing to land at John F Kennedy International Airport in New York, US. The same day, a helicopter pilot reported nearly colliding with a model airplane nearby, the Federal Aviation Administration was quoted as saying by CNN.

The pilot aboard JetBlue Flight 948 reported the strike at approximately 3,000 feet while on final approach around 7:15 a.m. local time on Monday, the FAA told CNN.

“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.

“Yep, it hit us right, right above the cockpit,” the pilot confirmed.

This morning, JetBlue Airbus A321-231 (N979JT) operating flight B6948 from Las Vegas to New York JFK reported a drone strike while on approach to JFK.

According to the crew, the drone struck the aircraft just above the cockpit at approximately 3,000 feet around 7:15 a.m. The… pic.twitter.com/VJNVOoBrW5

— Turbine Traveller (@Turbinetraveler) June 29, 2026

The Airbus A321, arriving from Las Vegas, landed safely minutes later at 7:21 a.m. The aircraft was just north of Sea Bright, roughly 10 to 12 miles from JFK, at the time of the suspected strike, according to Flightradar24 data.

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.”

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The FAA is investigating. If confirmed, it could be one of the first known collisions between a drone and a US commercial passenger plane.

Helicopter’s near miss with model plane

Later on Monday, a helicopter pilot flying from JFK to Manhattan reported a separate close call, this time with a model airplane. The FAA told CNN the two incidents are not related.

“Almost ran into a giant RC airplane over at Floyd Bennett,” the pilot of the Bell 407 helicopter told the tower, according to an ATC.com recording. “It was just like an RC, one of the remote-controlled airplanes. A big one at 500 feet.”

Floyd Bennett Field, a retired naval air station in Brooklyn, is largely operated by the National Park Service and includes a runway used by model airplane hobbyists. Flight tracking data showed the helicopter was at roughly 300 feet when it crossed the area. The FAA alerted local authorities about the report.

JetBlue pilots reported striking a drone earlier today as they approached New York – JFK Airport at ASALT, the waypoint in the center of the video, about 11:16:45 UTC. JetBlue #B6948 landed safely from Las Vegas moments later. The FAA is investigating. https://t.co/6p9iO8nCVv pic.twitter.com/aWdCiJSVJ1

— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) June 29, 2026

Drones have struck other aircraft before. In January 2025, a civilian drone struck a CL-415 “Super Scooper” battling the Los Angeles wildfires, punching a hole in the wing and forcing the aircraft out of service, leading federal authorities to prosecute the drone operator. Some other suspected strikes have later turned out to be bird strikes or mechanical issues.

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Drones are prohibited from flying near airports, but the FAA receives about 100 sighting reports a month. Last week, a United Airlines pilot reported nearly colliding with a drone while landing at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Unauthorised drone operators face stiff fines and criminal charges, including possible jail time, the FAA said. Drone flights are also restricted around emergency operations, jails, wildfires and major gatherings, including the ongoing World Cup. Law enforcement seized 500 drones found in restricted airspace across the tournament’s 11 host cities, the FBI announced Monday.

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