00:05A terrifying moment in the skies over New York, a passenger jet on final approach,
00:12and a pilot reporting a possible mid-air collision with a drone.
00:17The aircraft landed safely, but the incident has sparked a major federal investigation
00:23into what could become one of the most serious drone safety cases
00:28involving a U.S. commercial airliner.
00:31A JetBlue Airways passenger aircraft has reported a suspected collision with a drone
00:37while approaching New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport,
00:42prompting an investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA.
00:47The incident occurred on Monday morning as JetBlue Flight 948, an Airbus A321 arriving from Las Vegas,
00:57was descending toward JFK.
01:00According to Air Traffic Control Audio, the pilot informed controllers that the aircraft had collided
01:06with what appeared to be a drone while turning onto its final approach.
01:11The pilot told the tower,
01:13We collided with a drone back there in the turn.
01:16When the controller asked for clarification, the pilot replied,
01:21Yep, it hit us right, right above the cockpit.
01:24At the time of the reported impact, the aircraft was flying at approximately 3,000 feet.
01:30Despite the alarming report, the crew continued the approach and landed safely on runway 13L at around 7.21 a
01:41.m. local time.
01:42No emergency assistance was required.
01:45Passengers disembarked normally without any reported injuries.
01:50Following the landing, JetBlue immediately removed the aircraft from service for a detailed inspection.
01:56In a statement, the airline said engineers found no visible damage or evidence of a collision during the post-flight
02:04examination.
02:06JetBlue emphasized that safety remains its highest priority and said it will fully cooperate with investigators.
02:14The FAA has now opened an official investigation to determine exactly what happened during the aircraft's approach.
02:21Investigators are expected to review radar information, air traffic control recordings, flight data, and any available surveillance footage from the
02:31area.
02:32Drone activity near major airports has become an increasing concern for aviation authorities.
02:39Federal regulations strictly prohibit unauthorized drone operations around airports
02:45because of the significant danger they pose to commercial airliners during takeoff and landing.
02:51While pilots have reported numerous drone sightings in recent years,
02:56confirmed collisions between drones and commercial passenger aircraft remain extremely rare.
03:02If investigators determine that the aircraft was in fact struck by a drone,
03:07the incident could become one of the first confirmed drone collisions involving a U.S. commercial airliner.
03:15Authorities have not yet identified the operator of the suspected drone.
03:20The investigation remains ongoing.
03:23As commercial aviation continues sharing increasingly crowded airspace with recreational drones,
03:30officials say protecting aircraft during critical phases of flight remains a growing safety challenge.
03:37For now, the aircraft landed safely,
03:40but investigators are working to determine whether a drone came dangerously close to causing a far more serious incident.
04:05Onetika Hamid
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04:14Onetika Hamid
04:15The Attent
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