A JetBlue plane collided with a drone while landing at John F. Kennedy Airport on Monday morning.
The pilot told air traffic control, “We are cleared to land 13L. Just quickly, I couldn’t talk to approach, but we collided with a drone back there in the turn.”
“You said you collided?” confirmed Air Traffic Control.
“Yep, it hit us right … right above the cockpit,” answered the pilot.
This morning, JetBlue Airbus A321-231 (N979JT) operating flight B6948 from Las Vegas to New York JFK reported a drone strike while on approach to JFK.
According to the crew, the drone struck the aircraft just above the cockpit at approximately 3,000 feet around 7:15 a.m. The… pic.twitter.com/VJNVOoBrW5
— Turbine Traveller (@Turbinetraveler) June 29, 2026
A JetBlue spokesperson said that the plane landed “without incident,” and that customers “deplaned normally, and the plane was removed from service for a post-flight inspection.” The inspection revealed no damage to the aircraft, per the New York Post.
The FAA said it will launch an investigation. The drone collided with the aircraft at around 3,000 feet. Drones are legally permitted to fly at a maximum of 400 feet. The FAA has rules for drones avoiding airspace next to airports and will punish unauthorized drone operators with criminal charges or potential fines.
FAA Statement
The pilot of JetBlue Airlines Flight 948 reported striking a drone at approximately 3,000 feet altitude while on final approach to John F. Kennedy International Airport around 7:15 a.m. local time on Monday, June 29. A post-flight inspection did not reveal any…— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) June 29, 2026
The collision occurred just days after a United Airlines aircraft had a near-miss collision with a drone at Newark Liberty International Airport. The pilot told air traffic control, “We almost hit a drone” and that the device was “about 100 feet below us.”
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