JetBlue pilot reports striking a drone while landing at JFK airport

A JetBlue Airways pilot reported striking a drone while on approach to John F Kennedy International Airport in New York, officials said.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the aircraft landed safely and a post-flight inspection found no damage. The agency has launched an investigation into the incident.

The incident is the latest in a series of close encounters involving drones and commercial aircraft.

Just days before the JetBlue incident, a United Airlines pilot reported nearly colliding with a drone while approaching Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.

The FAA said the JetBlue pilot reported striking a drone at an altitude of nearly 3,000ft (900m) around 07:15 EDT (11:15 GMT).

"We are clear to land, 13 left," the pilot said in air traffic control audio recorded by ATC.com, according to CNN. "Just quickly, I couldn't talk to approach, but we collided with a drone back there in the turn."

"You said you collided?" the controller asked.

The pilot confirmed, "Yep, it hit us right, right above the cockpit."

In a statement to the BBC, JetBlue said: "The flight landed without incident, 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 FAA estimates it receives more than 100 reports of drone sightings near airports every month, despite regulations prohibiting unauthorised drone operations in the vicinity.

The agency warns that unauthorised operators may face "stiff fines and criminal charges, including possible jail time".