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.
