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It was preserved as a record on July 31; the timeline below shows how it unfolded, with sources. Get the briefing to follow the top situations still developing: three emails a week, sourced and in order.

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18 clusters · 123 sources · 75 days · First seen · Last updated

US drone‑aircraft incidents at major airports

Overview

Since April 2026 a string of low‑altitude unmanned‑aircraft sightings has repeatedly disrupted operations at U.S. airports. A UPS cargo MD‑11 aborted a landing at Louisville after an aircraft crossed the runway, and Southwest 737s logged near‑misses at Nashville and JFK, prompting an FAA probe. United reported a possible drone collision near San Diego and later struck a pole and a bakery truck during a Newark approach, leading to FAA and NTSB examinations. Civil lawsuits over the November 2025 UPS MD‑11 crash and the FAA’s clearance of Boeing’s pylon‑bearing fix allowed FedEx and Western Global to resume MD‑11 cargo flights. In June, United 737s narrowly avoided drones near Newark, and United Flight 1513 reported a near‑miss with a small circular drone.

On 29 June 2026 JetBlue Flight 948 (Airbus A321) struck a drone at roughly 3,000 ft on final approach to JFK. The aircraft landed safely; a post‑flight inspection found no damage despite the pilot’s report of impact above the cockpit. The FAA opened an investigation, noting the event could be the first confirmed U.S. passenger‑jet–drone collision and reiterating the 400‑ft altitude restriction. Two separate reports of the same incident were filed later that day, reinforcing FAA warnings that violations can trigger hefty fines, license suspension, or criminal charges.

A TUI Boeing 737‑800 later suffered a tail‑strike in Palma de Mallorca, attributed to an unauthorized drone, underscoring the global risk posed by high‑altitude hobby drones.

The FAA continues to log more than 100 drone‑sighting reports per month and warns that unauthorized operations near airports may incur substantial penalties, especially as security measures intensify ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Timeline

  1. [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    Drone collisions with commercial aircraft raise safety concerns

    A Boeing 737 tail‑struck in Mallorca and a JetBlue A321 narrowly avoided a drone near New York, raising concerns over drone safety for commercial flights.

  2. [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    JetBlue Flight 948 collides with drone near JFK Airport

    A JetBlue Flight 948 pilot reported striking a drone at about 3,000 ft while on final approach to JFK on June 29, 2026; the aircraft landed safely and the FAA opened an investigation.

  3. [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    JetBlue aircraft strikes drone while approaching JFK

    A JetBlue plane hit a drone at 3,000 ft on approach to JFK on 29 June, landed safely, and the FAA will investigate.

  4. [TECHNOLOGY] 15 sources
    JetBlue Flight Collides with Drone Near JFK Airport

    JetBlue Airbus A321 from Las Vegas reported a drone strike at ~3,000 ft on approach to JFK on June 29, 2026; plane landed safely, no damage found, FAA investigating.

  5. [TECHNOLOGY] 7 sources
    United Airlines Boeing 737 avoids drone collision during Newark landing

    United Airlines Flight 1513 narrowly avoided a drone while landing at Newark on June 27, 2026; the FAA is investigating the safe landing of the Boeing 737 with 106 passengers.

  6. [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    United Flight 169 low‑slow approach causes pole strike before Newark landing

    United Flight 169 from Venice to Newark on May 3, 2026 hit a light pole while low and slow, injuring a truck driver but causing no injuries to the 231 aboard; the NTSB called it an accident and United issued a‑

  7. [TECHNOLOGY] 6 sources
    United Airlines Flight 169 strikes light pole near Newark, NTSB says

    NTSB says United Airlines Flight 169 flew too low on May 3, struck a light pole near Newark, damaging the jet and injuring only a truck driver.

  8. [BUSINESS] 2 sources
    Western Global Airlines Reactivates MD-11F Cargo Plane After FAA Clearance

    Western Global Airlines has put an MD-11F cargo plane back into service after the FAA approved a Boeing fix, making it the first of its fleet to fly again since the 2025 UPS crash.

  9. [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    UPS MD-11 Cargo Plane Crash Investigation Highlights Prior Safety Warnings

    NTSB hearing on the 2025 UPS MD‑11 crash uncovered long‑known pylon bearing cracks and gaps in crew training and fatigue management, prompting likely safety reforms.

  10. [TECHNOLOGY] 26 sources
    UPS cargo plane engine separation kills 15 in Louisville crash

    NTSB probes UPS MD‑11 crash in Louisville where a left engine detached on takeoff, killing 15; hearings focus on faulty bearing.

  11. [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    United Airlines Boeing 767 collides with bakery truck on New Jersey Turnpike

    United Boeing 767 hit a bakery truck and a light pole on the NJ Turnpike during Newark approach, injuring the driver; NTSB and FAA investigating.

  12. [BUSINESS] 7 sources
    FedEx Restarts MD-11 Cargo Flights After FAA Clears Aircraft

    FedEx resumes MD‑11 cargo flights after the FAA approved Boeing's fix following the fatal UPS crash.

  13. [BUSINESS] 3 sources
    UPS cargo plane crash lawsuits filed over fatal Louisville accident

    UPS cargo plane crash in Louisville killed 15; 15 lawsuits blame UPS, Boeing and others for unsafe conditions.

  14. [TECHNOLOGY] 2 sources
    United Airlines Boeing 767 Hits Lighting Pole and Truck During Newark Landing

    United Airlines Flight 169 hit a lighting pole and a bakery truck while landing at Newark, causing minor damage and no injuries.

  15. [INTERNATIONAL] 40 sources
    United Airlines 767 clips bakery truck and light pole on New Jersey Turnpike during Newark approach

    United Flight 169 hit a light pole and a bakery truck on the New Jersey Turnpike during its Newark landing; no passenger injuries, driver lightly hurt, FAA/NTSB

  16. [TECHNOLOGY] 14 sources
    United Airlines flight reports drone collision near San Diego during descent

    United Airlines flight reports a collision with a red drone near San Diego during approach; no injuries reported.

  17. [TECHNOLOGY] 9 sources
    Near-miss incidents involve Southwest jets near Nashville and JFK, FAA investigates

    Southwest jets narrowly avoided collisions near Nashville and JFK; FAA investigates.

  18. [BUSINESS] 4 sources
    UPS jet aborts landing after near-miss at Louisville airport

    UPS jet aborts landing after a near-miss in Louisville as another aircraft crosses the runway; previous crash at the same airport.

Sources

100percentfedup.com · 929theticket.com · abc7.com · abc7ny.com · aerotime.aero · airlive.net · airway.com.br · americanwirenews.com · anglophone-direct.com · areyoupop.com · BBC · belfercenter.org · blacknews.com · boston · broBible.com · ca.sports.yahoo.com · cbs58.com · dailymail · DailyMail.co.uk · dailyrecord.co.uk · dailystar.co.uk · delo.si · devx.com · diariodelcauca.com.co · eastidahonews.com · econotimes.com · edukasi.sindonews.com · efakt.pl · egnews.it · eldiariony.com · epochtimes.com · ernesthuska.blog.sme.sk · ertnews.gr · espreso.co.rs · eveeno.com · feeds · folprecht.blog.idnes.cz · freerepublic.com · frontera · giornaledipuglia · halifax.citynews.ca · headline.pk · heute · HLN · hsbnoticias.com · ijr.org · Il Messaggero · ilfattoquotidiano