JetBlue Pilot Says Plane Has Collided With Drone at Major Airport

A JetBlue Airways pilot said the aircraft collided with a drone during its descent into John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City on Monday, according to the pilot. In an audio clip obtained by WABC, the pilot told air traffic control that the drone hit the plane near the cockpit while the aircraft was about 3,000 feet above ground, and said he did not need assistance with landing. A JetBlue spokesperson told the Daily Mail that no one was injured and that an inspection found no evidence of a collision, adding that the company would assist with relevant investigations. The incident follows a recent pattern of drone-related close calls, including a United Airlines Flight 1513 near Newark Airport on Friday, where the plane was reported to be only about 100 feet above the drone before landing safely. The FAA has said drone operations near airports are dangerous and illegal, and it receives around 100 reports of drone sightings near airports each month.