Regional Jet 900 (CRJ900)
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Distraction; Situational Awareness
Conflict NMAC; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors
While on short final for runway 31L at 1500 feet; a drone/UAV was headed straight for our aircraft at a bearing of 135 at a high rate of closure and barely missed us. My first officer was the first to spot what he first thought was a collection [of] balloons emerging from the runway 31L center line. As the object got closer we saw that the object was some sort of diamond-shaped drone with a single pusher prop behind it. The drone passed less than 50 feet directly over the nose of our aircraft where we got a good look at it. We reported the encounter to Tower. They tried; but could [not] successfully track the vehicle on radar.   This drone incident was a great concern to me compared to the other encounters reported by aircraft this year for a variety of reasons. First; was the deliberate nature of the drone's operator in heading right for our aircraft down the center line of a major US airport runway in a difficult political climate.Next; was the type of drone used. This drone was not your typical four-rotor toy as in previous encounters. The four to five foot fixed-wing; diamond-shape; stealthy police/military style fuselage; with short; blended; delta wings and down sloping winglets; had a belly mounted camera globe. This was closely related to an upgraded 'Killer Bee (or Bat)' drone I once spotted during my time as an aviator in the military. Finally; I was concerned that ATC had no ability to track this larger UAV and find those responsible.   We need more visual binocular scanning from tower; rather than relying on Airport Radar which doesn't seem to pick up drones of the size and type I encountered. [Authorities] recommended to me that a pilot should hit the ident button on the transponder when you see a drone coming in close proximity to your aircraft. He said it helps ATC better pinpoint the location of these small vehicles.
A CRJ-900 on short final to JFK airport had a near miss with a UAS similar in appearance to the Raytheon Killer Bee.