The Joint Terror Task Force is now probing the sighting of the mysterious flying object, the sources said.
The Alitalia pilot spotted the unmanned craft � described as �a black drone� � hovering just 200 feet from his jet about three miles east of the airport as he made his approach from Brooklyn.
�He was very clear as to what he saw,� a source said.
The pilot told investigators the object was flying at about 1,800 feet and looked like �a black drone about a meter square, with helicopter rotors on the corners.�
The pilot landed safely.
The JTTF launched a full-scale criminal investigation shortly after the 1:15 pm sighting, sources said. The FAA is also investigating.
While sources said there is a good chance the �drone� might have been operated by a model-aircraft enthusiast, it was still the first time veteran observers at JFK could remember one getting so close to a plane.
�In all the years I�ve been with the airport, I can�t remember a similar incident,� one investigator said.
�Whether this is a hobbyist or not, it raises serious concerns.�
Source: New York Post