"Right Above The Cockpit": Drone Strikes JetBlue Plane On Final Approach To JFK
JetBlue Airways Flight 948 reportedly struck a small drone while the narrow-body aircraft was in the traffic pattern on final approach to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.
JetBlue pilots reported striking a drone earlier today as they approached New York - JFK Airport at ASALT, the waypoint in the center of the video, about 11:16:45 UTC. JetBlue #B6948 landed safely from Las Vegas moments later. The FAA is investigating. https://t.co/6p9iO8nCVv pic.twitter.com/aWdCiJSVJ1
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) June 29, 2026
A JetBlue pilot could be heard talking with Kennedy Tower about the drone strike. The pilot said the jet collided with a drone during a turn about two miles before landing. When the controller asked for confirmation, the pilot said the object struck "right above the cockpit."
"Just quickly, I couldn't talk to approach, but we collided with a drone back there in the turn," the pilot said.
"You said you collided?" the air traffic controller asked.
"Yep, it hit us right, right above the cockpit," the pilot said.
This morning, JetBlue Airbus A321-231 (N979JT) operating flight B6948 from Las Vegas to New York JFK reported a drone strike while on approach to JFK.
— Turbine Traveller (@Turbinetraveler) June 29, 2026
According to the crew, the drone struck the aircraft just above the cockpit at approximately 3,000 feet around 7:15 a.m. The… pic.twitter.com/VJNVOoBrW5
The FAA released a statement shortly after the mid-air incident:
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.
FAA Statement
— The FAA ✈️ (@FAANews) June 29, 2026
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…
The incident is yet another warning that even some of the most heavily monitored and defended airspace in the country remains highly exposed to small, low-cost drones. It also underscores the urgent need for counter-UAS deployments at major airports and other critical infrastructure nodes, including power grids and data centers, before a devastating drone attack becomes a national story across every front page.