Drone Nearly Hits United Plane Landing at Newark
Summary
On Friday June 26, 2026, a united-airlines Boeing 737 approaching newark-liberty-international-airport from Key West nearly collided with a circular, ~3-foot-wide drone about 100 feet below the aircraft, per air traffic control audio verified by CNN; the flight landed safely with 106 passengers and 5 crew. A separate United Express flight operated by gojet-airlines reported a drone at roughly 2,000 feet near the same time. The faa confirmed it is investigating; the incident lands amid a busy Fourth of July travel period and follows a Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Aviation, Space, and Innovation hearing where Sen. jacky-rosen discussed DHS/DoD counter-UAS development and Airlines for America’s chris-sununu called for closing regulatory “loopholes.” CNN situates the incident within FAA data (~100 monthly airport drone sightings, 319 pilot reports through March 2026, only 8 requiring evasive action) and notes Newark’s proximity (~15 miles) to World Cup matches in East Rutherford, NJ, plus a precedent 2019 Teterboro-area drone disruption. This is a civilian-aviation safety incident distinct from, but conceptually adjacent to, the vault’s military-base drone-incursions pattern; a same-window JFK/JetBlue incident is tracked separately at src-jfk-jetblue-drone-2026-06.
Key Claims
- United 737 crew reported nearly hitting a circular ~3-ft-wide drone ~100 ft below the aircraft while landing at Newark around 5:20 p.m. ET June 26, 2026.
- A second aircraft, a GoJet-operated United Express flight, separately reported a drone at ~2,000 ft near Newark around the same time.
- FAA is investigating; ~100 drone sightings occur near US airports monthly; 319 pilot-reported sightings through March 2026; only 8 involved evasive pilot action; one drone crashed on a runway (San Carlos Airport, CA).
- Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) described DHS/DoD counter-UAS development at a Senate Commerce Subcommittee hearing; Chris Sununu (Airlines for America) called for closing regulatory loopholes in UAS integration.
- Newark is ~15 miles from World Cup matches in East Rutherford, NJ, where drone activity is heavily restricted.
- In April 2019, drone reports near Teterboro Airport (~17 miles from Newark) disrupted Newark flights.
Notable Quotes
“We almost hit a drone… about 100 feet below us.” — United 737 pilot (via verified ATC audio)
“Integrating UAS safety regulation into all aspects… whether it through the FAA or other modes and other regulatory frameworks that manage the national airspace, is absolutely integral. There can’t be any loopholes.” — Chris Sununu, President and CEO, Airlines for America