NEWARK, N.J. — Federal officials acknowledged a string of serious drone incidents across New Jersey in 2024, including airspace intrusions near a nuclear facility and the forced diversion of a medevac helicopter, but chose to withhold details from the public, according to internal federal field office documents reviewed by this publication.
The internal reports from the Newark Field Office of the Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS) reveal that federal authorities tracked multiple drones operating in restricted or sensitive airspace along the New Jersey coast, including near Philadelphia and JFK commercial flight corridors, over the course of several months last year.
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The Biden administration was well aware of the incidents and was tracking the drones, but chose to ignore local politicians’ concerns, including those from Congressmen Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew.
Ocean County Sheriff Michael Mastronardy, one of the most outspoken local officials against the public use of drones set up a command post on the beach in Seaside Heights. Mastronardy, who acknowledged that his department was already in posession of federally banned anti-drone systems used the incident to push his anti-drone agenda.
Both Smith and Van Drew believed the drones to be of foreign influence. The drone drama helped Congress and the White House push a slew of anti-drone bills, including one bill that would make it legal for Americans to shoot down drones, and to give police and government agencies more authority to restrict drones.
In one documented case, a medevac helicopter attempting to land was forced to abort after three drones flew dangerously close to its airspace. The unit had to divert and locate another landing zone. At the time, three commercial aircraft were also on approach to SOLEBERG VOR, a key navigation point, adding to what one report described as “visual confusion” for observers on the ground.
The documents suggest federal agencies were aware that the sightings could not be easily dismissed as mistaken identity. In another instance, six to seven “large drones” were seen flying in from the Atlantic Ocean and hovering in formation near a military base along the coastline, raising security concerns. Flight tracking noted that commercial aircraft bound for JFK appeared to hover or loop near Sea Girt, potentially giving false impressions of static positioning due to their flight patterns.
Drones spotted near nuclear plant and military aircraft
On December 12, 2024, three drones were observed hovering for an extended period near a nuclear facility’s waterline. At the same time, non-commercial aircraft were operating nearby, including a Cessna C150 flying at low speed and a Black Hawk helicopter flying at approximately 600 feet altitude.
Despite the clear proximity of drones to a nuclear site, there was no corresponding public warning or alert issued by any federal or state agency.
Another report referenced a witness observing a drone-like object flying northeast, dipping and rising while reportedly emitting a gray mist. However, investigators later identified the aircraft as a Beechcraft Baron 58 that had dropped about 100 feet due to turbulence.
The condensation cloud from rapid altitude change was believed to have possibly caused the mist-like appearance, but the ambiguity of the witness report was not publicly disclosed.
No public disclosures despite repeated incidents
Internal documentation across multiple dates in 2024 consistently referenced drone activity that interfered with medical, commercial, and military air operations. Still, none of these incidents were reported to the public through FAA alerts or law enforcement press releases.
The reports were filed under reference code REL0001246815, tracked by the LE/FAMS Newark Field Office, which noted surveillance on both manned and unmanned aircraft in the area. The documents suggest that despite verifying many of the drone sightings and aircraft interactions, federal agencies opted to keep the details classified.
Federal officials have not commented on the rationale for withholding the incidents, but the pattern described in the field reports points to a strategic decision to manage the situation internally.
Internal documents show federal officials tracked drone activity near critical infrastructure and aircraft but made no public disclosures of the confirmed airspace breaches.
You can read the full report here.