Helicopter reports drone encounter near JFK hours after JetBlue's possible drone strike

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. 

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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.