Drones over New Jersey?

[RTM]

Ignoring witness testimony again!

It's probably not that black and white.

 

[Kyle Ferriter]

Reason Magazine has obtained documents via FOIA from the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA), dated December 17, 2024 which provide what I think is more concrete detail than has been released by any agency or white house statement so far, indicating that some federal officials were much more intimately aware that specific incidents running through news media and social media alleging mysterious and anomalous drone/UAP activity were in fact misidentified helicopters and airplanes. They had the information that could help clarify and tamp down on misinformation, but for whatever reason, the administration did not make it available and did not address specific widely-reported incidents they believed were reported on in a misleading way. This information is not classified, these are all referring to public flight data, it is only marked 'for official use only' (stricken out in the FOIA release). This is only one slide deck for one meeting from one agency, covering 4 incidents. I wonder how many other documents exist that can shed light on other investigations of "drone" incidents.

https://reason.com/2025/05/09/what-the-feds-knew-about-the-new-jersey-drone-scare/

The TSA slides (also attached):
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/25930815-25-0428-2025-hqfo-01883-final-records-0/

The resolved cases include the incident early into this NJ drone hysteria period on Nov 26, 2024 in which a NJ State Police medevac helicopter approaching a car crash site to pick up an injured person was forced to divert course when firefighters on the ground spotted a group of drones nearby and determined them to be a flight risk. This case was referred to the FBI for official investigation, and as we now know, federal law enforcement believes the firefighters saw distant planes and mistook them for closer drones. This incident in particular went viral because of the nature of it the story: illegally-operating drones tangibly interfering with emergency response services.

https://www.nj.com/somerset/2024/12...king-patient-to-nj-hospital-college-says.html

The other incident I recognize is a reported sighting of drones hovering over the nuclear power plant in Salem County, NJ. This one also went a bit viral also probably due to the story involving a nuclear power plant. Members of congress got involved and the power plant operator PSE&G responded to the story by requesting a TFR over the facility, which was granted and expanded to (I believe) all power facilities in the state. After investigating, the TSA determined there was a relatively low and slow-moving blackhawk helicopter and a small private plane in the line of sight south over the plant, and other planes departing Philadelphia airport flying away from the viewer would appear to be moving slowly in that direction.

https://nypost.com/2024/12/14/us-ne...over-nuclear-plant-as-mystery-drones-spotted/
https://vandrew.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1793

For this one they show flight tracks and give the aircraft registration numbers, so I went to look into it. The slide says it happened at 16:10 (December, so this would be EST (UTC-5), meaning 21:10 UTC). An issue here is that the flights they listed and displayed in the slide were not there at 21:10 UTC, they were there at 23:10 UTC (18:10 EST). So did the TSA just write the time down wrong on the slide maybe? Was the report from the witness actually for 18:10 EST (6:10 PM EST)? Could have confused 6:10PM for 16:10 in a transcribing step. Or was the sighting actually 16:10 EST and did the TSA identify the wrong flights because they converted the time wrong for their actual investigation?

 

[Kyle Ferriter]

I will add that using the marked location in the TSA map for the Salem power plant slide and assuming the actually correct time *was* 16:10 EST, the witness would have been looking pretty much straight down approach paths for Philadelphia and Wilmington airports, and these two planes were in basically the same spot of sky the TSA shows for the blackhawk helicopter, ~24 miles away, and would have been flying towards the witness at low angles for more than 10 minutes. AAL1662 going to PHL and VXP525 going to IHL. Other planes farther away on the same paths could very plausibly have been visible on a clear night. AAL1250 for example was at 12.6k ft altitude and 45 miles away. Difficult to see if landing lights were off but at 12k ft in increasingly busy airspace approaching the airport, the pilots may have decided to turn them on.

(map filtered to flights under 15k ft)

line of sight + distance:

 

[jarlrmai]

This flap seems to be back from the dead for a bit at least on Reddit UFOs, maybe just warming up for when the nights get dark again in New Jersey

Ross Coulthart says it was Chinese drones..


Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/1lv7kt2/ross_coulthart_says_the_new_jersey_mystery_drones/

 

[FatPhil]

This flap seems to be back from the dead for a bit at least on Reddit UFOs, maybe just warming up for when the nights get dark again in New Jersey

Ross Coulthart says it was Chinese drones..

...
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/1lv7kt2/ross_coulthart_says_the_new_jersey_mystery_drones/

DJI are chinese. Therefore, most drones are chinese.

However, "electrogravitics" is pure bunk - as are Ross' implications. You might as well hypothesise that whatever was flying was powered by tooth-fairy wings. At least tooth-fairy science is a well-established field of study now.

 

[MyMatesBrainwashed]

Chinese reverse engineered technology

Is that a dig at China disguised as a reference to NHI?

 

[jarlrmai]

I think the implication is that the Chinese have super drones they made from reverse engineering alien spaceships, and they flew them over NJ last year.

 

[FatPhil]

Is that a dig at China disguised as a reference to NHI?

If it was a "dig", I don't know, as that nuance was so insignificant compared to the main thrust of his spiel, namely that the chinese do have woo-science (so, yes, NHI's tech), and it's bad that the americans don't have equivalent woo-science. I suspect if I was china-aligned I might even take that as a compliment, not a dig.

 

[JMartJr]

I think the implication is that the Chinese have super drones they made from reverse engineering alien spaceships, and they flew them over NJ last year.

Then they have zillions of them, and flew them pretty much everywhere! ^_^

The NJ drone panic did what such things are wont to do and spread to other areas. Somewhere I posted a list of new states where reports were appearing, but I cannot now find it... but we'd reached the point where "Mystery Drones" were making the news in more than half the states before I stopped keeping up with the list. Sadly, the list on MY end does not seem to have survived the transition from my earlier computer, now deceased, and this one.

 

[John J.]

Then they have zillions of them, and flew them pretty much everywhere!

It's extraordinary that this putative reverse-engineered ETI technology produces reconnaissance aircraft (what other halfway credible purpose could they have?) that have to be flown at altitudes and in conditions where pretty much anyone can see them and record them with a phone camera.
In fairness, many of the Chinese pilots kept standard position and anti-collision lights working on their alien-origin spyplanes which made them easier to see, which was pretty decent of them.

To be a little less cynical- but a shade more judgemental- it strikes me as a failure of imagination by UFO enthusiasts, and maybe Mr Coulthart, to have a worldview where ETI artefacts are found on Earth, are taken into the custody of a powerful national government, and the only consequence is the New Jersey drone flap of last winter, where the supposed drones were demonstrably more visible than existing military UAVs are to ground observers.

 

[JMartJr]

To be a little less cynical- but a shade more judgemental- it strikes me as a failure of imagination by UFO enthusiasts, and maybe Mr Coulthart, to have a worldview where ETI artefacts are found on Earth, are taken into the custody of a powerful national government, and the only consequence is the New Jersey drone flap of last winter, where the supposed drones were demonstrably more visible than existing military UAVs are to ground observers.

To be fair, they have to seize what "evidence" they can... I can't really blame them for the evidence being so weak, year in and year out for decades! I'm sure if better, more exciting evidence presented itself (as they thought was happening with the Navy videos, among other instances) they'd be pleased to seize on THAT!

Though I guess your point was that while we can;t blame them for how poor the evidence is, they are indeed responsible for believing it is so much more compelling than it, in fact, is...

 

[elvenwear]

This flap seems to be back from the dead for a bit at least on Reddit UFOs, maybe just warming up for when the nights get dark again in New Jersey

Ross Coulthart says it was Chinese drones..

If they have amazing reverse engineered alien tech why was China bothering with balloon technology a few years ago?

Also, if they have UFO tech and USA doesn't, why don't they have Taiwan now?

 

[FatPhil]

If they have amazing reverse engineered alien tech why was China bothering with balloon technology a few years ago?

Also, if they have UFO tech and USA doesn't, why don't they have Taiwan now?

Do not attempt to think, or depression may occur.

 

[FatPhil]

Do not attempt to think, or depression may occur.

I take no credit for that sentence.


Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMQHVzSPTec


Remain calm.

 

[Kyle Ferriter]

A 121 page PDF was obtained by Liberation Times (Chris Sharp) via FOIA about multiple alleged drone sightings off the Coast of New Jersey, roughly offshore from Barnegat Bay and the island containing it, e.g. Seaside Heights, Island Beach State Park, Long Beach, etc. It looks like some amount of it is duplicate information, like taking handwritten notes and then also providing the final typed up report with some additional context.

https://www.liberationtimes.com/hom...coast-with-some-prosaic-explanations-provided

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/610434e4588db6073a08618b/t/68af67b22b473308050256f4/1756325810890/2025-CGFO-01798+-+Responsive+Documents+-+Redacted+(20250826)+(1)+(1).pdf

Importantly it includes a timeline and more detailed descriptions of the incident that led to the viral story referenced by many politicians including in Congressional hearings, of US Coast Guard personnel on a ship near the coast reporting seeing 50 drones. I think the timeline clarifies one key question, which is that they did not see one fleet of 50 drones, they reported seeing a handful of drones at a time flying by, adding up to around 50.

I will hold off on further commentary until I read the whole thing.

 

[Mick West]

Importantly it includes a timeline and more detailed descriptions of the incident that led to the viral story referenced by many politicians including in Congressional hearings, of US Coast Guard personnel on a ship near the coast reporting seeing 50 drones. I think the timeline clarifies one key question, which is that they did not see one fleet of 50 drones, they reported seeing a handful of drones at a time flying by, adding up to around 50.

AI Extracted Summary:

Detailed Radio Log (08 DEC 2024 Night Operations – Station Barnegat Light, CG47219)

• Initial: SecDelBay requested launch to Island Beach State Park after reports of "multitude of drones" over LBI.
• Observations (times UTC, approx positions given):
  
  • 2149Z: CG47219 underway, drones overhead, crew maneuvering to avoid being directly under them.
  • 2208Z: Pos 39°47.478N 74°04.408W, drones over stern following vessel.
  • 2209Z: One drone headed west toward shore, near State Police/Governor's mansion.
  • 2213Z: 9 drones spotted moving north/west, speeds 40–50 kts, altitudes 300–1000 ft.
  • 2214–2215Z: 12 drones, cluster of 6 heading north, some northwest.
  • 2226Z: Pos 39°53.585N 74°00.846W.
  • 2229–2235Z: 2 drones headed offshore (bearing 050).
  • 2247–2256Z: Near Seaside Heights, constant sightings.
  • 2316–2328Z: Larger drones seen, 200–300 ft altitude, "jet engine" sound; 2 noted at twice the size of others. Recorded video evidence.
  • 2342Z: Returning to Barnegat Inlet.

Counting them:

The 08 DEC 2024 Station Barnegat Light radio log doesn't give one single "grand total," but rather a running series of counts as the crew observed new drones.


From the log entries:

• 2206–2209Z: Initially "drones following directly above," then 9 drones spotted moving north/west.
• 2213–2215Z: "12 drones spotted," with "cluster of 6 heading north."
• 2219–2220Z: Still "~12 drones at this time."
• 2229–2235Z: 2 drones offshore + more sightings near Seaside Heights.
• 2255–2256Z: "3–4 drones near Seaside Heights," later "2 drones spotted."
• 2316–2328Z: 1 drone much larger at 200–300 ft, then at least 2 larger drones (distinct from earlier small ones).
• 2333Z: Crew recorded video of the last 2 large drones.

Interpretation:

• Peak simultaneous count reported: about 12 drones in the air at once.
• Total distinct drones observed over the patrol (including clusters and later larger drones): at least 14–16, possibly more, since sightings overlapped and some were described only as "constant."

So the best conservative answer:

• ~12 drones active at peak
• Minimum total encountered across sortie: ~14–16 drones

If we take the 08 DEC 2024 Barnegat radio log at face value, and assume no overlaps (i.e., each mention of drones is a new/different group, not re-sightings of the same ones), then the tally is:

• 2209Z: "9 drones spotted moving north and west" → 9
• 2214Z: "12 drones spotted" → +12
• 2215Z: "Cluster of 6 drones heading north" → +6
• 2229Z: "2 drones headed offshore" → +2
• 2255Z: "3–4 drones near Seaside Heights" → take high end +4
• 2256Z: "2 drones spotted" → +2
• 2316Z: "1 drone much larger" → +1
• 2328Z: "At least 2 larger drones" → +2

Total (no overlaps):

38 drones minimum

 

[Mick West]

Attached is a KML of some planes nearby at 2208,

And a sitch, with the camera set to the given lat/lon
https://www.metabunk.org/sitrec/?cu...zonaws.com/1/NJ USCG 2208Z/20250828_234922.js

 

[Calter]

Just a slight elaboration on the "drones" spotted over Seaside Heights,

At 22:48 they say

NO DRONES ARE HEADING SOUTH. DRONES HAVE BEEN FLYING FROM SOUTH TO NORTH. THEY HAVE ALSO BEEN HEADED OFFSHORE AND TOWARDS THE ISLAND.

This lines up with most planes heading north towards NY, with barely any travelling south at that time

At 22:50 they say they are heading to Barnegat Inlet

HEADED SOUTH TOWARDS BARNEGAT INLET TO SEE IF THE CAN IDENTIFY MORE DRONES. POS 39-58.9N 07355.65W

And at 23:25 they say

O1 DRONE MUCH LARGER THAN THE REST FLYING DIRECTLY OVERHEAD WITH BRIGHT LIGHTS, DRONE IS FLYING MUCH LOWER THAN THE REST AT 200-300FT, BOAT WAS PUT INTO LOW IDLE, DRONE SOUNDS LIKE A JET ENGINE

Checking ADS-B at 23:25 over Bargenat Inlet area,
https://globe.adsbexchange.com/?replay=2024-12-09-04:25&lat=39.840&lon=-74.114&zoom=11.2

There happens to be a plane flying at just 6000 ft, in comparison most other planes would be heading north to land at JFK and would be flying at around 12-15k ft over that area

 

[Kyle Ferriter]

Page 39 of the PDF

Pages 55-58 include an email from a TSA UAS unit where they look at a map and videos (confirms that there are videos...) provided by the Coast Guard. They say they believe the craft reported from Coast Guard vessel on Dec 8 were planes. The paths drawn on the map match GA/commercial flight tracks, and the videos supposedly showing drones overlap with the identified flights and they argue that therefore the planes should be visible in the videos in addition to the "drones", and since the aircraft in the videos that are alleged to be "drones" look like the planes, that in fact they are the planes, not drones.

from:

 

[Kyle Ferriter]

I wonder if we will see an update from Marik after his many posts over the last 9 months, citing this Coast Guard incident as unquestionable evidence of fleets of large/illegal/unexplainable drones/UAP that bewildered the US military and supposedly evaded detection and countermeasures.


Source: https://x.com/MvonRen/status/1917330961383186867


Many also like to cite the Picatinny Arsenal drone reports, because there have been written statements saying that 11 drones were seen (separately) over the base. It is worth noting that civilian airplanes fly above base airspace all the time (I watched many of them, filming some, when I went to visit, some as low as a few thousand feet AGL). The base's airspace is under other layers of busy airspace.

But there was also a news segment by a local station reporting on a local resident who says his DJI drone flew towards a drone near the base and its battery drained unexpectedly and it went into a forced landing. This story also went viral online as proof that the "mysterious drones" could magically drain energy from other devices. I will say as someone who's flown a DJI mini-4-pro in windy and sub-freezing conditions, the battery does drain significantly faster. A "35 minute" battery may only last 15 minutes and the drone may compute that it should enter forced landing prior to that because it is avoiding crashing from voltage drops. I have had my drone enter forced landing way before I thought it would and it crashed into a tree as a result. I did some brief looking into this news segment though and I am fairly confident this resident was regularly violating the TFR imposed around Picatinny Arsenal, and did so when he flew his drone near his home during the news segment. I think the account I quote tweeted was the reporter (not sure) and their post contained the video segment, but they went private. My thread (here) has some screenshots of the location.

EDIT: here is an article with the news segment I referenced above: https://www.fox5ny.com/news/drone-f...ery-sightings-prompt-investigation-new-jersey
EDIT2: This article also says the man in the video is a 'podcaster and paranormal investigator' which is context I didn't have originally: https://www.foxnews.com/us/new-jersey-pilot-lost-control-after-encounter-unidentified-drone-report

Additionally, The War Zone's reporting on Picatinny Arsenal, to me, suggests that initial "drone" sightings "over" Picatinny Arsenal were not done by base personnel, but members of the public who lived near the base, who called and reported it to law enforcement, who then also relayed the reports to the base. See thread here.

So I'm not convinced anything "anomalous" happened at Picatinny Arsenal either, at least there's not good reason to think there was. Perhaps one or more civilian quadcopter drones were seen by base staff, and perhaps one was flown by that local resident. Quadcopters drones do sometimes violate restricted airspace and the technology to monitor, trace, and disable them remotely is not widely deployed yet. This could have triggered a cascade of priming on the base (and elsewhere), where now after base security staff had been told there were drones flying illegally through their airspace, they began excessively interpreting lights in the night sky as drones in their airspace.

 

[JMartJr]

This could have triggered a cascade of priming on the base (and elsewhere), where now after base security staff had been told there were drones flying illegally through their airspace, they began excessively interpreting lights in the night sky as drones in their airspace.

Cross-reference with
https://www.metabunk.org/threads/pyramid-ufos-in-night-vision-footage-are-bokeh.11695/

And: https://youtu.be/pbxtTEWczRk

for another example of this happening.