United jet nearly collides with drone while landing at Newark
A drone came within about 100 feet of a United jet on final approach to Newark, adding urgency to a growing airport-safety problem.
A United Airlines Boeing 737 landed safely at Newark Liberty International Airport after the flight crew reported a drone nearly struck the aircraft during its final approach. The plane had 106 passengers and five crew members aboard and was arriving from Key West, Florida, when the crew spotted the drone around 5:20 p.m. ET on June 27.
The pilot told controllers the aircraft came within roughly 100 feet of a circular drone about three feet wide. The jet touched down about 10 minutes later and passengers exited normally at the gate. Around the same time, another pilot on a United Express flight operated by GoJet reported seeing a drone at about 2,000 feet.
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen nearly 18.7 million travelers between June 30 and July 6, with the highest volume forecast for Thursday, July 2.
FAA data show the agency receives more than 100 drone-sighting reports near airports each month, and pilots had filed 319 reports through March 2026. Most do not lead to emergency action. Eight of those reports required evasive action, and only one reported drone crash on a runway has been logged, at San Carlos Airport in California.
Operating drones around airplanes and airports is dangerous and illegal, and unauthorized operators can face civil fines and criminal charges, including possible jail time. The FAA is testing drone-detection and counter-drone technologies, and airport operators are increasingly pressing to deploy those tools. Local law enforcement is generally expected to be the first responder to an airport drone sighting, while the FAA is required to develop a plan for airport drone-detection and counter-drone technology use.
Congress is moving as well. A House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee bill would create a counter-UAS mitigation pilot program at up to five of the FAA’s Core 30 airports and extend protections to major events such as the FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics.
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