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Three drones in three days at JFK: FAA

By Sadef Ali Kully

JAMAICA—The Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Homeland Security announced they will be investigating the sighting of drones by commercial pilots between July 31 and Aug. 2 in and around JFK airport.

Three were spotted over the weekend—one pilot saw a drone flying only 25 feet away from the plane he was landing, according to the New York Post.

The crew of a JetBlue flight reported seeing a drone heading to JFK airport at 2:24 p.m. July 31. The pilot did not take evasive action, FAA officials said. Just a couple of hours later the crew of Delta Flight 407 reported seeing a drone. Once again, the pilot did not take evasive action, FAA officials said. On Aug. 2, at around 6 p.m., the crew of a Shuttle America flight reported a drone off the left side of the aircraft as it was landing on Runway 13.

It is illegal to fly a drone within five miles of an airport or at an altitude of higher than 400 feet, according to the FAA and the Department of Homeland Security, who sent out a bulletin warning that drones can be used in terror attacks.