New Docs Reveal What Feds Knew About NJ Drone Sightings

NEW JERSEY — Months after a spike in drone sightings sent Garden State residents into a frenzy, newly released documents show federal officials may have known more than they claimed about what was happening in the skies over New Jersey.

The unidentified aerial vehicles were first spotted flying over different parts of New Jersey in mid-November. While sightings started in North Jersey, they quickly spread to the rest of the state. The drones (as officials and many residents called them) made nightly flights in some places, but it was unclear who was operating them and for what purpose.

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In January, the Federal Bureau of Investigation told Patch they had received more than 6,000 tips about drone activity in the state, about 100 of which warranted further investigation.

While Congress held a classified briefing about the sightings and the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily banned drone flights over dozens of New Jersey towns due to "special security reasons," newly released documents show officials had already internally debunked some of the most alarming reports.

A report first published online by Reason.com, a libertarian magazine for "free minds and free markets," detailed an internal presentation from the Transportation Security Administration explaining several of the sightings.

The Department of Homeland Security released the slideshow in response to a Freedom of Information Act request made by the publication.

One of the incidents happened on Nov. 26 near Raritan Valley Community College. A helicopter was en route to an accident near the college and two security guards closed roads around the crash scene, according to NJ.com. There was a seriously injured patient who needed to be taken to the hospital, the report said.

However, local fire officials cancelled the request for the helicopter for safety reasons because of the unidentified drones, the report said.

According to the DHS report obtained by Reason.com, federal officials looked at flight logs and aeronautical charts and determined that at the time of the incident, three commercial aircraft were approaching the nearby Solberg Airport.

"The alignment of the aircraft gave the appearance to observers on the ground of them hovering in formation while they were actually moving directly at the observers," the slideshow stated.

Another incident detailed in the slideshow occurred near the PSE&G nuclear power plant in Salem. Rep. Jeff Van Drew said two drones "approximately the size of small SUVs—were observed flying in close proximity" to the power plant.

However, federal officials said the incident lined up with a flyover by a military UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, a civilian Cessna C150 propeller plane and commercial flights coming out of Philadelphia.

The presentation also offered the possible causes for sightings that occurred near the National Guard Training Center in Sea Girt and another where witnesses reported spotting an object as it sprayed a "gray mist" over Clinton.

The presentation offers the most detailed explanation to date of some of the sightings that have alarmed, perplexed, and amused residents, and also prompted elected officials and first responders to urge federal agencies to share more information.

In December, former President Joe Biden said there was "nothing nefarious" in the sky. The same day, Congress said the drones posed no threat to the public following a classified briefing.

After taking office, President Donald Trump pledged to get to the bottom of the mystery. While signing a number of executive orders in January, Trump also asked his chief of staff to get to work on a report about drone activity in New Jersey.

Reading from the president's statement, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the drones were approved by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for “research” and “various other reasons.” Many of these drones were also hobbyists, recreational and private individuals who enjoy flying drones, she said.

New Jersey officials previously slammed the federal government's lack of transparency and accused agencies of causing panic and fear among residents.