Helicopter Pilot Reports Near Miss with Remote-Controlled Plane
On the same day a JetBlue airliner struck a drone at John F. Kennedy Airport, a helicopter pilot almost collided with a remote-controlled aircraft. The incident occurred Monday as the captain of a Bell 407 helicopter was flying from JFK to Manhattan, just hours after the JetBlue plane encounter, which happened at around 3,000 feet.
“I nearly hit a massive radio-controlled airplane over Floyd Bennett,” the pilot relayed to JFK air traffic controllers, as captured in audio recordings.
“Interestingly, he’s not on my radar here,” the controller replied. “Do you think it’s like a drone or something? Can you describe it?”
“It was like a radio-controlled, remote-controlled airplane,” the pilot said. “A big one, about 500 feet.”
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is not looking into the near miss, clarifying that the two incidents are unrelated.
The flight from JFK International to the West 30th Street Heliport typically takes around eight minutes.
This close call coincided with a JetBlue Airbus A321 that was departing from Las Vegas and collided with a drone during its descent toward JFK, roughly 10 to 12 miles from the airport.
“While I was approaching ASALT, I collided with a drone during a turn. I just wanted to pass you,” the JetBlue pilot communicated to air traffic controllers shortly before landing at around 7:15 a.m. ASALT refers to a waypoint for landing aircraft.
“You said there was a collision, right?” the air traffic controller asked.
“That’s correct. It struck us… right above the cockpit,” came the response.
The plane did land at Terminal 5, and fortunately, no injuries were reported.
“The aircraft was grounded for a post-flight inspection, and we found no signs of damage or impact,” a JetBlue spokesperson confirmed.
“Safety is JetBlue’s top priority, and we will work with any relevant investigations,” they added.
The FAA will conduct an investigation into the reported incident.
Drone operators flying unsafely or without authorization may face fines of up to $75,000, according to the FAA.
“These unsafe operations pose serious risks, and the FAA plans to hold operators fully accountable for their violations,” stated FAA Principal Counsel Liam McKenna.
The FBI is also looking into the crash at JFK, as reported.
This incident follows shortly after a United Airlines jet nearly collided with a drone during its descent into Newark Airport, where the pilot expressed concern that the unmanned device was “only about 100 feet down.”
