NY-NJ drones: Gov. Kathy Hochul sounds alarm after drone activity shuts down Stewart Airport for an hour

NEW YORK (WABC) — New York Governor Kathy Hochul is sounding the alarm over recent drone sightings across New York after suspected drone activity shut down an airport in Orange County.

Officials at Stewart International Airport, located about 60 miles north of New York City, said they closed their runways for an hour after the Federal Aviation Administration alerted them that a drone was spotted in the area around 10 p.m. 9.30 p.m.

Air traffic control footage from the airport during that time includes a pilot reporting drone sightings in the area.

The FAA said it was “slowing down traffic” at the airport due to the reported drone sightings near and above the airport. The agency added that no aircraft were affected. The airport temporarily closed its runways, but no flight operations were affected during the closure.

“This has gone too far,” Hochul said in a statement.

Hochul called on the New York State Intelligence Center to investigate incidents of drone surveillance, but also called on the federal government to do more.

Specifically, she urged Congress to pass the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety and Reauthorization Act, which would strengthen the FAA’s oversight of drones and give more authority to state and local law enforcement agencies to investigate the activity.

“Until these powers are granted to state and local officials, the Biden administration must step in by directing additional federal law enforcement to New York and the surrounding region to ensure the safety of our critical infrastructure and our people,” she said.

Officials from multiple federal agencies spoke to reporters Saturday on a phone call and emphasized that the federal investigation into drone sightings in New Jersey is ongoing. An FBI official said that of the nearly 5,000 tips they have received, less than 100 have generated credible leads for further investigation.

A Department of Homeland Security official said they are “confident that many of the reported drone sightings are in fact manned aircraft misidentified as drones.”

The FBI official also talked about how investigators overlaid the locations of the reported drone sightings and found that “the density of reported sightings matches the approach pattern” of the New York area’s busy airports, including Newark, Liberty, JFK and LaGuardia.

But an FAA official says there have “undoubtedly” been drones flown over New Jersey, pointing to the fact that there are nearly a million drones registered in the U.S.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is also weighing in, telling Eyewitness News on Saturday that he’s surprised the federal government doesn’t seem to know much about what’s flying over his state.

Just the day before, officials said there were “several” instances of drones being seen entering airspace at a naval weapons station.

Murphy says he may travel to Washington DC next week to seek answers, including why legislation giving more power to state and local officials to investigate recent drone sightings has not passed. Murphy also plans to call for more federal resources to address the ongoing sightings.

The FAA is responsible for the regulations for drone use, and Congress has written some requirements into law.

The FAA official on Saturday’s call noted that it is legal to fly a drone in most places during the day or night, provided the drone remains below 400 feet, remains within the drone operator’s line of sight and does not pose a safety risk to people, property or trespass airspace restrictions.

But concern remains over reports of drones flying near sensitive areas, including military bases. The FAA official said the FAA received the first report of drone activity near Morris County, New Jersey, on November 18. In response, the agency issued two Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) prohibiting drone activity over the Picatinny Arsenal and the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. Both TFRs are still in force and can be extended. The FAA is working to establish a permanent flight restriction over the Picatinny Arsenal.

A Joint Chiefs of Staff official said there have been visual sightings of drones reported by “highly trained security personnel” near the Picatinny Arsenal and Naval Weapons Station Earle in New Jersey. The official said they do not believe the sightings “were aligned with a foreign actor or had malicious intent.”

But the Joint Chiefs of Staff official added that they do not know much about these sightings because they have limited authority to investigate off base.

Some information from ABC News and the Associated Press.

READ ALSO | Is it a drone or a plane? This is how you see the difference

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