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A helicopter reported a possible drone encounter near John F. Kennedy International Airport Monday afternoon, marking the second such incident at the airport in a single 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 (FAA) said.
The sighting came just hours after a separate incident in which a JetBlue pilot reported a possible drone strike while the plane was approaching JFK for landing.
JFK air traffic control issued a warning to nearby pilots of an unauthorized unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operating in protected airspace, according to ATIS.guru, which collects live digital messages from airports around the world.
JETBLUE FLIGHT REPORTS DRONE STRIKE DURING APPROACH TO NEW YORK AIRPORT: FAA
According to the warning, a “red and white” remote-controlled airplane was spotted flying at roughly 4:05 p.m. local time.
It was observed at an altitude of 500 feet, placing it within the typical flight path of low-flying commercial aircraft 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.
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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.
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