FBI Warns Against Shining Lasers On Suspected Drones As Most Sightings Turn Out To Be Planes

The Newark office of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) has warned against shining lasers and/or potentially shooting alleged unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) – drones
– since many of these UAS have turned out to be commercial or private aircraft.

Shooting at aircraft

In a statement on December 16, the FBI Newark and the New Jersey State Police pleaded with the public to stop shining lasers on aircraft that the general public could mistake for a UAS.

“There is also a concern with people possibly firing weapons at what they believe to be a UAS but could be a manned aircraft.”

As such, the FBI Newark, New Jersey State Police, “and dozens of other agencies and law enforcement partners” have been patrolling every night for several weeks to track down operators acting illegally or with nefarious intent.

Photo: Dmitry Kalinovsky | Shutterstock

The law enforcement agencies have been using every available tool and piece of equipment to “find the answers the public is seeking.” However, the statement warned about potential misidentification and possible deadly consequences if lasers and/or gunfire target manned aircraft.

On December 14, Boston Police Harbor Patrol Unit officers arrested two individuals, with a third suspect still at large. The men have been accused of flying drones or UAS dangerously close to Boston Logan International Airport
(BOS).

Related

Police Arrest 2 Men After Drone Flies “Dangerously Close” To Boston Logan Airport

The search for a third suspect is still on.

Drone hysteria

FBI Newark emphasized that typically, UAS are mistaken for familiar objects such as manned aircraft, low-orbit satellites, or celestial bodies like planets. To avoid misidentifying a drone for any of those objects, the public can use a variety of tools to visually identify whether something in the sky is a drone or a manned aircraft.

“Accurate identification is critical for maintaining safety and ensuring appropriate responses to UAS activity.”

The bureau noted that many different publicly available websites and mobile applications show flight paths of crewed aircraft, satellites in Earth’s orbit, and astronomical objects that could help avoid misidentification.

For example, Flightradar24 is the most commonly used tool to track the flight paths of commercial and/or private aircraft, while ADS-B Exchange could be used to monitor some, not all, movements of military aircraft.

Photo: hodim | Shutterstock

Over the past few weeks, drone hysteria has taken over social media networks, including TikTok, which has been widely used as a disinformation tool.

The company, owned by China-based ByteDance, has filed an emergency appeal in front of the US Supreme Court against its ban that would go into effect on January 19, 2025, if the Chinese company does not divest from the app due to security concerns raised by the US government.

Following the shocking results of the Romanian presidential election in November, which had been annulled due to a Russian influence operation impacting the vote, the European Commission (EC) invoked the Digital Services Act (DSA), ordering the platform to freeze and preserve data related to actual or potential risks TikTok could pose on electoral processes in the European Union (EU), another potential case of the social media network being investigated for its role in spreading false narratives to its users.

Nevertheless, some of the platform’s users have filmed themselves pointing lasers at aircraft. One now-deleted video showed the individuals laser striking moving objects in the sky with clearly identifiable navigation lights used by aircraft, including commercial jets.

President-elect Donald Trump further fanned the flames during his news conference on December 16, when he said that the government was aware of the drone-related developments. Trump claimed that the current government did not want to comment on the matter, with the incoming president adding that they would be better off by saying what the US military and the current president, Joe Biden, know about the alleged drone sightings, according to a report by Reuters.

Related

How To Tell Airbus & Boeing Aircraft Apart In The Dark

While some external lights on Boeing and Airbus aircraft work in a similar way – some don’t!

Federal law violation

In a short statement on December 15, the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA
) reiterated that laser strikes on aircraft are a serious safety hazard and a violation of federal law. The regulator said it had received “multiple laser reports” from flight crew in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Photo: riopatuca | Shutterstock

A day prior, the FAA said that it was its role to ensure drones were operated safely within the National Airspace System (NAS), noting it was legal to fly a drone in “most locations” if a UAS is operated under 400 feet (121.9 meters).

“[…] but there are rules — including safety tests, keeping below 400 feet, keeping the drone in sight, avoiding all other aircraft, not causing a hazard to any people or property, and avoiding restricted airspace.”

On December 13, the regulator slowed traffic at New York Stewart International Airport (SWF) due to multiple reported drone sightings near and over the airport. The event did not impact aircraft safety, and the airport resumed full operations on the same day.

Related

Wright Patterson Air Force Base’s Airspace Closed After Drones Spotted

Wright-Patterson has become the latest major US military installation to confirm having mystery drones fly overhead.