Drones are posing an increasing risk to our aviation ecosystem, given the unauthorized ways these are sometimes used in restricted airspace. Along those lines, a JetBlue pilot reported colliding with a drone while on approach to JFK, which is the first known instance of this happening in the United States…
“We collided with a drone back there in the turn”
This incident happened early in the morning of Monday, June 29, 2026. JetBlue flight B6948 was operated by an Airbus A321, and was just completing a redeye flight from Las Vegas (LAS) to New York (JFK). At around 7:15AM local time, while on approach to runway 13L (at around 3,000 feet, 10-12 miles out), the plane reportedly hit a drone. According to the air traffic control audio:
JetBlue pilot: “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.”
Air traffic controller: “You said collided?”
JetBlue pilot: “Yep, it hit us right above the cockpit.”
The plane landed without further incident, and taxied to the gate normally. After the flight, the plane was inspected, and no evidence of damage was found. The FAA is now investigating, so here’s the statement they released:
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 damage to the aircraft. The FAA will investigate. Contact the airline for more information.
If it is confirmed that a drone hit the aircraft, it would be one of the first known instances of a commercial aircraft in the United States colliding with a drone.
This is becoming an increasingly big problem for aviation
Over time, the risks that the aviation industry faces have certainly evolved. While commercial flying remains incredibly safe, we are seeing both airport close calls and drone activity present an increasingly big challenge.
It goes without saying that there are restrictions with where drones can be flown, and they’re not supposed to be operated close to major airports. The issue is, drones can be cheap to buy, and many people use them irresponsibly, not realizing how they’re potentially putting the lives of others at risk. That says nothing of people who may actually have bad intentions.
Currently, the FAA receives around 100 reports per month of drone sightings near airports, and that number keeps increasing over time — I imagine this is only the tip of the iceberg. In most situations, a small drone wouldn’t take down a commercial aircraft, though it could do some major damage, and I imagine there’s also a sequence of events where it could potentially be fatal.
Anyway, it’s going to be interesting to see how regulators handle this over time. Should there be new regulations around buying drones? Should irresponsible idiots just be jailed for a year when they fly a drone into busy airspace? Or how do you get everyone on the same page about the risk this poses?
Bottom line
A JetBlue pilot approaching JFK reported that the Airbus A321 he was piloting was hit by a drone, with the point of impact being right above the cockpit. Interestingly, an inspection didn’t reveal any damage, though the FAA is now investigating this.
The number of drone sightings near airports keeps increasing, and this poses a major challenge for the aviation industry, given the risks. There are just too many irresponsible drone users out there who don’t understand the impacts their actions could have, and that says nothing of the potential for people with bad intentions to do something like this as well.
What do you make of the increasing issue of drones around airports?
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