A helicopter pilot says he almost collided with a "gigantic" remote-controlled plane near JFK Airport on Monday, just hours after a separate JetBlue flight reported hitting a drone on approach. In air traffic control audio released by LiveATC, the helicopter pilot reports an RC aircraft at about 500 feet over the northern part of Floyd Bennett Field and tells controllers he "just missed it," per Fox News. He adds that he saw "a couple other ones on the ground" that looked ready to launch from what he called an RC flying area.
The object was described in a warning notice to other pilots as a red-and-white RC plane flying about a mile from the Canarsie navigation beacon, a common alignment point for incoming jets. Earlier that day, a JetBlue pilot reported a possible drone strike at around 3,000 feet and 10 miles from JFK; the plane landed safely and showed no damage. Authorities haven't said whether the two incidents are connected; the FAA is investigating the JetBlue report.
"People are still not following the rules, and all it takes is one to end up wrecking an engine or impacting a cockpit," aviation expert John Nance tells WABC of the unmanned devices that are increasingly taking to the skies. The outlet notes it's against federal law to interfere with an aircraft's operation, including by flying drones near airports—a crime that features penalties of up to $100,000. "These unsafe operations create serious risks, and the FAA will hold operators fully accountable for any violations," an agency spokesperson says, per the New York Post.
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