The mystery of the drone flying above New York City

After an Alitalia pilot has a frightening encounter with a UFO near JFK airport, there are more questions than answers

Drone
(Image credit: YouTube)

On Monday, the Obama administration told Congress that it's possible "to imagine an extraordinary circumstance" — like a 9/11-level attack — in which it would deploy an aerial drone to kill an American on U.S. soil. And quite coincidentally, that same day, the Federal Aviation Administration said a drone had been spotted in the airspace near Queens and Brooklyn. An Alitalia pilot landing at JFK airport had this jarring conversation with an air-traffic controller:

JFK controller: Uh, what did you see?Alitalia pilot: We saw a drone, a drone aircraft.JFK controller: What altitude did you see that aircraft?Alitalia pilot: About 1,500 feet.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.