Helicopter Reports Drone Near JFK Hours After JetBlue Plane’s Possible Strike

A helicopter pilot reported a possible encounter with a drone near John F. Kennedy International Airport on Monday afternoon, the second similar report at the airport that day.

“A helicopter pilot flying near John F. Kennedy International Airport reported a remote-control airplane flew close to their aircraft,” the Federal Aviation Administration said.

The report came only hours after a separate incident in which a JetBlue pilot alerted officials to a possible drone strike as the aircraft was approaching JFK to land.

Air traffic controllers at JFK warned pilots in the area about an unauthorized unmanned aircraft system, or UAS, operating in protected airspace, according to ATIS.guru, a site that tracks live digital airport messages worldwide.

JETBLUE FLIGHT REPORTS POSSIBLE DRONE STRIKE ON APPROACH TO NEW YORK AIRPORT: FAA

The alert said a “red and white” remote-controlled aircraft was seen flying at about 4:05 p.m. local time.

The aircraft was reported at an altitude of roughly 500 feet, putting it within the typical path of low-flying commercial planes approaching the airport, according to the ATIS warning.

The sighting was also reported about 1 mile from the Canarsie (CRI) navigation beacon, a key waypoint used by aircraft lining up to land at JFK.

It is unclear whether the two cases are related.

The FAA notified local authorities about the report.

Flying a remote-controlled aircraft or drone near a major airport is illegal and poses a serious safety risk to aircraft operating in the area, according to the agency. 

Earlier Monday morning, a JetBlue flight struck a drone at approximately 3,000 feet roughly 10 miles from JFK, the FAA said. 

Air traffic audio recordings indicate the encounter occurred above the cockpit.

The flight landed without incident, and a post-flight inspection did not reveal any damage to the aircraft, JetBlue said.