The increasing number of incursions by drones into congested airspace in New York has sparked concerns of federal regulators.
An investigation has begun after reports of unmanned drones flying too close for comfort to passenger planes at New York JFK Airport.
The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) said pilots on Delta Air Lines 838, a Boeing 737, and Virgin Atlantic 9, a Boeing 747, reported seeing drones at altitudes of 2,000 and 3,000 feet while they were landing at the airport on Sunday night.
Another pilot of a JetBlue Airbus 320 spotted a drone about two miles from a different runway at JFK yesterday afternoon (Wednesday).
The FAA said none of the pilots had to take action to avoid the drones and all three flights landed safely.
It is currently setting regulations for the commercial use of drones, which could potentially cause a major safety hazard.
If a drone gets sucked into a jet engine, experts say it could cause even more damage than a bird.
Earlier this week, the National Transportation Safety Board ruled that small drones are classed as a type of aircraft and therefore should be subject to existing FAA rules.
This means the FAA can take action if owners use the machines recklessly.
The drone sightings come after an NYPD helicopter pilot reported a near-miss with a drone over Brooklyn on September 17.
In the same month, NBC New York reported that a Russian tourist was arrested after he was allegedly caught operating a drone around the city’s Brooklyn Bridge.
