Drone or plane? Newark Airport in close proximity to sightings in New Jersey

NEWARK, NJ – Are the planes landing and taking off at Newark Airport and Morristown Municipal Airport possibly contributing to the mysterious drone sightings reported in nearby Morris County? That’s one hypothesis from a local police department, which issued a statement Wednesday about the ongoing phenomenon.

The drones (as officials describe them) — which some said were intended to be unmanned aerial systems (UAS) or unidentified flying objects (UFOs) — caused a stir in cities across Morris County.

An FBI spokesman said the agency is actively investigating the incidents. Read more: As drone sightings increase in New Jersey, authorities offer few answers

Florham Park police are among the authorities that have commented on the sightings, which have occurred just after sunset each night for two weeks and continued “well into the early morning hours.”

It’s worth remembering that every light in the night sky is a drone, Florham Park police added:

“Please note that not all low-flying aircraft are drones as we have Morristown Municipal Airport on our western border and Newark (Liberty) International Airport in close proximity.”

However, some internet experts have insisted that the lights were not planes. An X user recently posted a video of an object he claimed was a drone flying at an altitude of 500 to 1,000 feet over New Jersey. “This is not a plane – you can hear the rotor blades,” they wrote.

Meanwhile, local police continue to push for more answers.

“Local law enforcement members have pressed our partners for responses to this activity as its presence near our critical infrastructure is concerning,” Florham Park police reported Wednesday, adding that some of the sightings occurred over critical infrastructure such as water would have reservoirs, power lines, train stations, police departments and military installations.

“While we currently have no evidence or information to suggest that these drones currently pose an imminent threat, their presence appears to be nefarious in nature,” police added.

Apparently the enthusiasm for the flying lights has reached Essex County, where the town of Fairfield issued the following notice on Thursday:

“In the event of a drone sighting, please contact the FBI with your information at 1-800-CALL-FBI. You can also email them at [email protected]. Additionally, if you encounter a drone that has landed in Fairfield, please call us at 973-227-1400 so we can further investigate the matter and make further notifications.”

Bright lights continue to be spotted in the sky across North Jersey.

An X user recently posted videos that he said show two of the mysterious drones flying southwest over Morristown. “There was some air traffic to Newark, but nothing else,” they wrote.

Earlier this week, a Reddit user who lives near Newark Airport posted a video showing a light moving across the sky.

“I’ve seen Starlink and other satellites, but this one stands out,” they commented.