On Thursday night, a mysterious drone crashed into a residential backyard in New Jersey , adding to growing concerns and unease over unexplained aerial sightings across the Garden State. Authorities are investigating the incident while residents grapple with questions about the origins and purpose of these devices.
According to police reports and dispatch audio, the incident occurred around 8:45 p.m. in Pequannock Township, located in Morris County. The unmanned aircraft descended suddenly from the night sky, sm:a:shing into a homeowner’s property in a quiet suburban neighborhood. In recent weeks, residents in North Jersey have reported a surge in sightings of mysterious drones flying across the region’s night skies.
The Pequannock Police Department told The New York Post that the craft was identified as “a hobby or toy type of drone” and clarified that it was “not a large commercial or military grade drone.”
Emergency response teams were spotted at a Hillsborough shopping center, as captured by the footage of SkyFOX. They searched the adjacent underbrush for several hours. A local resident said to FOX 5 NY that she heard a crash and expressed increasing worry about the unusual occurrences, describing them as “bizarre.” Additionally, she reported seeing multiple “drones” flying close to her home, located just blocks from the crash site.
While the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulates drone activity, authorities have yet to determine who owns or operates the drones being spotted across the state. Pequannock police have not confirmed if the drone that crashed Thursday night is linked to previous sightings. The sudden influx of unexplained drones has sparked widespread speculation, with theories ranging from recreational use to unauthorized surveillance or industrial testing.
Residents of this densely populated region, which is close to New York City, have expressed frustration and a desire for answers. FAA regulations prohibit drones from flying at night without proper authorization, operating over private property, or beyond the pilot’s visual line of sight. Violations can result in fines or legal action, though enforcement remains difficult without identifying the operators.
Also, officials at a Navy weapons station in New Jersey reported “multiple” drone intrusions into their airspace, heightening concerns amid numerous drone sightings across the region. Naval Weapons Station Earle acknowledged being “aware” of these occurrences and emphasized their ongoing collaboration with federal and state agencies “to ensure the safety of our personnel and operations.”
“While no direct threats to the installation have been identified, we can confirm multiple instances of unidentified drones entering the airspace above Naval Weapons Station Earle.”, Bill Addison, the public affairs officer at Naval Weapons Station Earle, told ABC News. He added that the base is ready to handle any possible threats, stating, “The base remains prepared to respond to any potential risks, leveraging robust security measures and advanced detection capabilities.”
In an intelligence bulletin obtained by ABC News on Friday, the New Jersey Division of Fire Safety issued a warning, advising that downed or landed drones “should not be approached.”
Last night, beginning at around 9:45 pm, I personally witnessed (and videoed) what appeared to be dozens of large drones in the sky above my residence in Davidsonville, Maryland (25 miles from our nation’s capital). I observed the activity for approximately 45 minutes.
Like… pic.twitter.com/Ipx8ctLmhs
— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) December 13, 2024
