A United Airlines aircraft had a near-collision with a drone while attempting to land at Newark Liberty International Airport on Friday.

“We almost hit a drone,” the pilot said.

The pilot described the drone as “circular” and roughly “three feet wide.”

It was “about 100 feet” below the passenger jet.

Listen below:

CNN shared further:

The flight’s crew reported seeing the drone while approaching Newark Liberty International Airport at about 5:20 p.m. ET, the Federal Aviation Administration told CNN. The agency said it is investigating.

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The Boeing 737, carrying 106 passengers and five crew members from Key West, Florida, landed safely around 5:30 p.m. ET, with travelers exiting the plane at the gate as normal, United told CNN in a statement.

Another pilot flying into Newark on a United Express flight operated by GoJet Airlines also reported seeing a drone at roughly 2,000 feet, according to air traffic control audio from around the same time.

It comes at a busy time for air travel. The Transportation Security Administration expects to screen nearly 18.7 million travelers at US airport security checkpoints over the Fourth of July holiday week, between June 30 and July 6.

“United flight 1513 reported a potential drone sighting prior to arriving in Newark. The flight landed safely, and customers deplaned normally at the gate,” United Airlines said in a statement.

More from the New York Post:

The federal agency receives more than 100 drone-sighting reports near airports each month, which can cause dangerous consequences.

Unauthorized operators are subject to fines and criminal charges, including possible jail time, the FAA warned.

 

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