The mystery drone sightings in New Jersey are spreading to Philly suburbs, prompting more questions

The aircraft have been spotted from the Philly suburbs to Staten Island. “It’s not terrifying, but it’s a curiosity,” one observer said.

by Emily Bloch

Published Dec. 10, 2024, 6:03 p.m. ET

It started in mid-November. Residents in towns across New Jersey reported sightings. The large unidentified drones, some reportedly as large as cars, flew low and sometimes in formation with bright lights and loud hums, overwhelming once-peaceful nights.

Now, locals have more questions than answers as the mystery drone sightings continue — and seem to have spread.

Drones continue to be spotted in northern New Jersey, where they were once concentrated. There have also been recent reported sightings in South Jersey, Philadelphia’s Pennsylvania suburbs, and New York’s Staten Island. It’s unclear if the drone appearances are connected, because nothing is clear.

Michael Cush went outside his Haddonfield home Saturday night after seeing chatter online about drones being in his area. He spotted two drones, and compared the sound to “choppers in a Vietnam War film.”

Cush said that he recently watched a small commercial drone take real estate footage of a house — and that the vehicles flying overhead were nothing like that.

“To me, it’s not terrifying, but it’s a curiosity,” he said. “Somebody’s got some explaining to do.”

For weeks, witnesses reported clusters of drones over northern New Jersey, including Morris, Somerset, Hunterdon, Monmouth, Sussex, and Warren Counties. The devices — which are reported to be larger than those typically flown by hobbyists — initially prompted concern among government officials because of their proximity to President-elect Donald Trump’s Bedminster golf course, city infrastructure, and Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. military research and manufacturing facility.

The FBI and local police are investigating and authorities have repeatedly said that the drones are not a security threat, but have not provided additional details on whom they belong to or what they are being used for.

But even with the Federal Aviation Administration imposing new drone flight restrictions last month in some of the targeted areas, residents say the flying persists. Some elected officials are speaking out.

In a letter Monday, 20 mayors demanded action from New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy.

“These flights, occurring under the cover of darkness, have raised significant alarm among the more than 500,000 [Morris] County residents and local officials alike,” the letter said. “The lack of information and clarity regarding these operations has caused fear and frustration among our constituents. Despite inquiries made to relevant authorities, we have yet to receive satisfactory answers about the purpose, operators, or safety protocols governing these flights.”

Murphy said that afternoon he was working with the White House, Homeland Security, and others in hopes of getting answers “sooner than later.”

He added that there were nearly 50 reports of drone sightings in New Jersey on Sunday night, but that some were repeat sightings and at least one was a small plane.

U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D., N.J.), who is running for New Jersey governor next year, called for more action Tuesday. He sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and the FAA, asking for them to share more information about the drone sightings. Gottheimer said he’s introducing legislation to expand access to drone-tracking technology for law enforcement.

“We must ensure New Jersey does not become the Wild West for drone activity,” he said.

U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D., N.J.) weighed in with a letter to federal agencies requesting a comprehensive briefing and updates for the public.

“I recognize the need to maintain operational security of ongoing investigations and that this situation requires complex interagency coordination. However, there is a growing sense of uncertainty and urgency across the state,” Booker wrote. “Without transparency, I believe that rumors, fear, and misinformation will continue to spread.”

A spokesperson for the FAA said in a statement this week that the agency had nothing new to report. When the sightings were initially reported Nov. 18, the agency said it looked into reports of unauthorized drones and investigated when appropriate. It said temporary restrictions prohibited drone flights over Picatinny Arsenal Military Base and Trump National Golf Club Bedminster. The agency has since added a third restriction, in Staten Island.

In lieu of official details, locals are talking among themselves and documenting sightings across social media.

On Neighbors, a social media app operated by the smart-doorbell company Ring, the drone discourse seems never-ending. It’s how Cush of Haddonfield said he’s been keeping up with the sightings.

In Camden County on Saturday, residents reported numerous drones, comparing video footage, the number of sightings, and theories. One Voorhees Township resident claimed to have seen “about 50″ in recent days. Another expressed, “SO MANY DRONES, WHY!!!???”

“I don’t understand why we’re not given any info about them,” one user wrote.

A Camden County spokesperson said the local office of emergency management has been monitoring the situation and staying in contact with law enforcement.

“The number-one thing we are asking residents to do is if they see something suspicious in the sky to alert local law enforcement officials,” the spokesperson said. “If they do observe something, try to write down the date and time, location, duration, and description of the drone and relay that information back to a police officer.”

In Delaware County, one Neighbors user posted cell-phone footage of the person counting large drones flying overhead. “They’re everywhere,” the person said, as the drones could be heard whooshing from above.

Across social media, accounts of drone sightings, unverified drone crashes, and drone-related perplexities and conspiracies have gone viral. One Morris County family told Fox News that when a drone was hovering above them, their car’s clock temporarily changed.

Armchair internet conspiracists have tossed around some guesses: insurance companies surveilling for fraud, the U.S. military, or the sweetest — Santa’s gone modern.

But the local military base said it’s not behind the drones.

On Tuesday, a Picatinny spokesperson said that the military research base had recorded confirmed drone sightings over the facility, but that the drones did not belong to Picatinny.

“While the source and cause of these aircraft operating in our area remain unknown, we can confirm that they are not the result of any Picatinny Arsenal-related activities,” the base said in a statement. Base officials say they have recorded more than 11 confirmed drone sightings over the facility since Nov. 13, along with a handful of unconfirmed reports.

On Enigma, an app where users can share accounts of and upload videos of UFO sightings, developers noted a spike in reports in areas where drone sightings have occurred.

Users on Enigma populated a self-reported map documenting 24 sightings in the last two weeks across the region.

In Philadelphia, one user reported recording a “triangular craft with three lights on the corners” last week flying low and slow. Another user in Bucks County documented seeing “multiple bright lights hovering slowly” while driving through Carversville on Sunday night.

“To me, the biggest alarm of the whole thing is someone either knows what it is and is keeping it a secret or it’s an indictment of the fact that drones can be a weapon and we obviously can’t stop them — we don’t even know what they are,” Cush said. He paused before one final guess: “I guess another option could be it’s kids that will get in some serious trouble.”

People with information about the drones are encouraged to call the FBI: 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit a tip online by visiting tips.fbi.gov.