FAA investigates midair drone collision reported by commercial pilot near JFK Airport

An Airbus A321 arriving from Las Vegas lands safely in New York after reporting an impact close to the cockpit at an altitude of 3,000 feet

NEW YORK — Federal authorities have launched an official inquiry into a security breach in the airspace surrounding one of the nation’s busiest transit hubs. The FAA investigates midair drone collision following an urgent alert transmitted by a commercial airline pilot during a final approach to John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The incident occurred at approximately 7:15 a.m. local time as the aircraft descended through an altitude of roughly 3,000 feet (900 meters). According to air traffic control audio retrieved from the tracking platform Atc.com, the flight crew notified the control tower immediately after the impact. “During the turn, we hit a drone. It hit us right above the cockpit,” the pilot reported.

The aircraft involved, an Airbus A321 arriving from Las Vegas, carries a maximum capacity of 220 passengers. Despite the midair encounter, the plane completed its scheduled arrival and landed safely on the runway without requiring emergency assistance or specialized ground support.

JetBlue later confirmed that the flight concluded routinely and all passengers disembarked the aircraft normally at the gate. The airline further stated that a subsequent maintenance inspection of the airframe revealed no physical damage and yielded no structural evidence of a collision.

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(Photo: © AndKronos)