Hit Us Right Above the Cockpit': Dramatic Pilot Audio Emerges After JetBlue Drone Incident Near JFK Airport

A federal investigation is underway after a commercial JetBlue flight reported a possible drone encounter while descending into New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport on Sunday night. JetBlue said flight 948 from Las Vegas to JFK landed safely, passengers exited normally, and the aircraft was removed from service for a post-flight inspection that found no damage or evidence of a collision. Federal authorities reported the incident occurred at nearly 3,000 ft (about 900 m) around 07:15 EDT (11:15 GMT), when the crew advised air traffic control of the mid-air impact. Audio from ATC.com shared by CNN captured the pilot telling controllers that the aircraft “collided with a drone” just above the cockpit during the turn. The incident follows another reported drone near-miss in the preceding days involving a United Airlines crew approaching Newark Liberty International Airport. The FAA logs more than 100 drone sightings monthly near airfields, despite restrictions that make unauthorized drone flights illegal.