An aerial drone struck a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter in the sky over New York City Thursday night.

The incident happened 500 feet above the Midland Beach section of Staten Island at about 7:30 p.m., Lt. Col. Joe Buccino of the 82nd Airborne told Fox 5.

Based out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the Black Hawk crew has been flying security missions for the U.N. General Assembly out of Linden Airport in New Jersey. The four-person crew was uninjured, Colonel Buccino said.

They inspected the Black Hawk Friday morning and found a piece of a drone in the oil cooler and damage to the fuselage and two blades, a source said.

Fox 5 obtained photographs showing the rotor damage and the debris that is purportedly part of a drone.

The Army is sending helicopters from Fort Bragg to Linden to change out the damaged blades, the source said.


The damaged Black Hawk will be back in service in the next day, Colonel Buccino said. The collision appears to be an accident, he said, adding that this is the first time something like that is confirmed to have happened.