An unmanned drone came within 200 feet of a commercial jet over New York , triggering an FBI appeal to the public for any information about the unusual and potentially dangerous incident . The crew of Alitalia Flight 608 approaching John F. Kennedy airport on Monday reported the sighting . `` We saw a drone , a drone aircraft , '' the pilot can be heard telling air traffic controllers on radio calls captured by the website LiveATC.net . CNN Explains : U.S. drones . The FAA said it was investigating the incident . The Alitalia aircraft did not take any evasive action and landed safely . The FBI expanded on the FAA report , saying in a statement that the Alitalia flight from Rome was roughly three miles from runway 31R when the incident occurred at an altitude of approximately 1,750 feet . The unmanned aircraft , described by the FBI as black and no more than three feet wide with four propellers , came within 200 feet of the Boeing jetliner . The FBI said it was looking to identify and locate the aircraft and its operator . A source with knowledge of the incident says investigators interviewed the pilot and others on the Alitalia plane . Dronestagram uses social media to highlight drone strikes . `` The FBI is asking anyone with information about the unmanned aircraft or the operator to contact us , '' said Special Agent in Charge John Giacalone . `` Our paramount concern is the safety of aircraft passengers and crew . '' Air traffic controllers warned other planes approaching the JFK runway of the drone report , but at least two other pilots radioed they did not see it . A spokesman for the New York Police Department was not aware of the incident and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey , which operates the airport , referred CNN to the FAA . Unmanned aerial systems , sometimes called drones , and other remote-controlled planes could pose a risk to larger passenger aircraft if they collided or were sucked into an engine . For recreational hobbyists , flying remote-controlled planes is only allowed by the FAA up to 400 feet , and within sight of the operator . If they are going to fly within three miles of an airport , they have to let air traffic controllers know . Flying unmanned aerial vehicles is illegal for most business purposes ; however , governments and public entities such as police departments can apply for permission to operate them . The FAA has been working to setup new rules and to safely integrate the use of unmanned aircraft into the national air space , and last year opened an `` unmanned aircraft systems integration '' office .
Drone came dangerously close to Alitalia jet landing in New York . Report appeals for pilot 's help in finding the drone 's owner . Drone was about three - feet wide with four legs , report says . Radio communications indicate pilot crashed drone on Monday morning .