Following thousands of reported drone sightings late last year, the Federal Aviation Administration eased temporary flight restrictions, which led to an odd spike in the number of unexplained drone sightings in the Northeast.
Airports were closed, people were arrested, and lawmakers and the FAA called for increased control after sightings were recorded in November and December of last year in New York, New Jersey, and other neighboring states.
Following the FAA’s temporary flight limitations on drone flights in New Jersey and New York in December, which were lifted in some locations on January 19, the sightings seemed to taper down.
More sighting reports from Connecticut to New Jersey have surfaced since the limitations were removed.
Since November, 650 sightings nationwide have been reported as drone-related, with the majority occurring in the Northeast, according to Enigma Labs, a research firm that studies unexplained occurrences.
In the immediate aftermath of the prohibition, Enigma reported a decrease in the number of reports. In New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, Enigma received 49 reports just this month, 14 of which were made after the flying bans had ended.
You examine the reports that are being submitted by others. Enigma spokesperson Christine Kim told NBC’s “TODAY” show on Monday, “They’re saying, you know, I’m still seeing them, ban or no ban, and they’re happening.”
Videos that residents sent to Enigma showed rows of red lights flashing in the night sky, several of them near to one another throughout communities.
During an unrelated press appearance in New York on Sunday, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) confirmed the drones’ return.
New drone sightings have been reported recently. “We’ll have to investigate,” he said.
On his first day back at the White House, President Donald Trump also responded to the sightings, stating, “I would like to find out what it is and tell the people.”
The FAA stated that it is in charge of making sure drones operate safely within the larger National Airspace system, but it has not confirmed the recent occurrences.
In a statement issued on December 16 in conjunction with the FAA and DHS, the FBI informed NBC News that it had received over 5,000 tips about drone sightings in the previous several weeks, and that 100 leads had been created for further investigation. According to the agency, it dispatched a skilled visual observer and sophisticated detection equipment to the area.
However, according to the FBI, no unusual information was found in the tips, and there was no threat to public safety or national security over the Northeast’s civilian airspace.
According to the authorities, the sightings to date include a mix of legal commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, in addition as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars that were misidentified as drones.
Governor Kathy Hochul of New York asked for laws to control drones in the airspace late last month.
Even though we haven’t found any dangers to national security or public safety, we will keep a close eye on the situation and urge Congress to enact legislation that will provide states and local law enforcement with the power and tools they need to handle this rapidly changing technology, she added.