The Federal Aviation Administration said it has launched an inquiry after a JetBlue Airways flight reported hitting a drone while on approach to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.
According to the agency, the pilot of the Airbus A321 - which had departed Las Vegas - reported the strike at approximately 3,000 feet while on final approach. The FAA said the incident occurred at about 7:15 a.m. EDT on Monday.
JetBlue said the jet landed without incident, customers deplaned normally, and the aircraft was taken out of service for a post-flight inspection. That inspection, the airline added, found no damage or evidence of a collision.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the body that manages JFK, was not immediately available to comment on the episode.
This event follows a separate report that a United Airlines flight encountered a drone while descending into Newark Liberty International Airport on Friday. Media accounts earlier in the week described the Newark encounter, which took place at another New York-area airport.
The FAA emphasizes that drones should not be operated near airports. The agency's advisory notes the difficulty pilots face in seeing and avoiding small unmanned aircraft while in flight. The FAA receives more than 100 reports of drone sightings near airports each month, the agency said.
The regulator also warned that unauthorized drone operations near airports can lead to fines or imprisonment. "We want to send a clear message that operating drones around airplanes, helicopters, and airports is dangerous and illegal," the FAA said.
As the FAA proceeds with its investigation, the focal points are the pilot's report of a strike at low altitude on final approach, the subsequent inspection by JetBlue that found no physical evidence of a collision, and the broader pattern of drone reports in the region. The agency's monthly tally of more than 100 drone-sighting reports near airports underscores the frequency of such encounters and the regulatory emphasis on keeping unmanned aircraft away from controlled airspace.
Further details on the investigation's findings or any enforcement actions were not provided in the initial notices from the FAA or the airline.