JetBlue Pilot: Drone Hit Us 'Right Above the Cockpit'

A JetBlue flight coming into New York's JFK Airport on Monday morning landed safely minutes after the pilot reported a drone strike. The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed to CNN that the pilot of Flight 948 from Las Vegas reported the strike at about 3,000 feet around 7:15am, as the aircraft was on its final approach. "We collided with a drone back there in the turn," the pilot told controllers, according to audio recorded by ATC.com. Asked to confirm the collision, the pilot said, "Yep, it hit us right, right above the cockpit."

The Airbus A321 landed safely around 7:21am. JetBlue later described it as a "possible drone encounter," the Wall Street Journal reports. "Customers deplaned normally and the plane was removed from service for a post-flight inspection, which found no damage or evidence of a collision," the airline said. The FAA is investigating. Drones are usually permitted to fly under 400 feet but there are strict rules on the airspace surrounding airports, reports NBC News. If the strike is confirmed, it will be one of the first in the US involving a drone and a passenger aircraft, CNN reports.