More mysterious drone sightings have been reported in the Northeast, in a strange surge after the Federal Aviation Administration lifted its temporary flight restrictions following thousands of reported drone sightings late last year.
The sightings last year, reported in November and December in New York, New Jersey and other nearby states prompted airport closures, led to arrests and triggered calls from lawmakers and the FAA for more oversight.
The sightings appeared to slow down after the FAA in December imposed temporary flight restrictions on drone flights in New Jersey and New York that lifted in some areas Jan. 19.
Since the restrictions lifted, more reports of sightings from Connecticut to New Jersey have emerged.
Enigma Labs, a research company studying unidentified phenomena, has tallied 650 sightings nationally described as drone-related since November, with the most concentrated in the Northeast.
Enigma reported a drop in report numbers immediately following the ban. But just this month, it received 49 reports in New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Virginia — 14 of which came after the flight bans expired.
“You look at the reports that people are submitting. They’re saying, you know, ‘I’m still seeing them, ban or no ban, and they’re happening,’” Enigma spokesperson Christine Kim told NBC’s “TODAY” show Monday.
Enigma shared videos sent in by locals showing lines of flashing red lights beaming in the night sky, multiple in close proximity to one another over neighborhoods.
On Sunday, Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., confirmed the return of the drones at an unrelated press conference in New York.
“We have now seen new drone sightings. We’re going to have to look into it,” he said.
President Donald Trump also addressed the sightings on his first day back at the White House, saying: “I would like to find out what it is and tell the people.”
The FAA hasn’t confirmed the new sightings, but said that it’s responsible for ensuring drones operate safely within the broader National Airspace System.
The FBI referred NBC News to a statement jointly released with the FAA and the Department of Homeland Security on Dec. 16 that said the FBI received more than 5,000 reported drone sightings tips in the few weeks prior, with “100 leads generated” for investigation. The agency said that it sent advanced detection technology and trained visual observer to the region.
However, the FBI said nothing “anomalous” was identified among the tips, nor any national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in the Northeast.
“We assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and stars mistakenly reported as drones,” the agencies said in that statement.
Late last month, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called for legislation to regulate drones in the skies.
“While we have not detected any public safety or national security threats, we will continue aggressively monitoring the situation as we call on Congress to pass legislation to give states and local law enforcement the authority and resources they need to manage this evolving technology,” she said.
