Mystery drones: Bucks County police join NJ authorities in probe as FBI investigates
Bucks County residents said they've spotted multiple drones overhead in the past week, including over a police department.
Five large drones flew over Solebury Township Police Department late Dec. 8, Det. Sgt. Jonathan Koretzky said. The drones were spotted at the township building along Sugan Road approximately 1,000 feet in the air.
Members of the Solebury department also received reports of two large drones flying near Covered Bridge Road on Dec. 8 and last week.
Both sightings occurred at night, Koretzky said. He added that the resident who reported the incidents said both drones displayed flashing lights.
Members of the police department are also following up with authorities in New Jersey's Hunterdon County, Koretzky said.
The Bucks County inquiry coincides with broader concerns around the East Coast. FBI investigators have joined a probe into drone sightings in Hunterdon County and across New Jersey, as residents have reported large groups of drones, as well as drones hovering close to homes for hours.
Bucks County Sheriff Fred Harran said he's not aware of the FBI being directly involved with any Bucks County drone inquiry at this time.
Leslie Bilotta said she's seen increased activity by drones and other aircraft near her home in Chalfont since early November, including some that come right up to her roof. She saw a drone near her home as recently as Dec. 8, she said. The aircraft Bilotta sees often have flashing lights.
The FBI is also investigating reports of a “fixed-wing aircraft” seen flying along the Raritan River, according to reporting from The Daily Record, a part of the Paste BN Network.
Tips on identifying planes vs. drones
Tom Costello, who has piloted about 400 drone flights for the USA Today Network, has offered advice for Bucks County residents who may be seeing more lights in the sky.
He said to first listen for a loud engine that would likely give away that the object is a plane. They can also compare the lights to one another; an airplane on descent may have a spotlight on the nose that would be much brighter than the others.
Members of the public can also use apps such as Flightradar24 and Air Control to track the flights traveling through the airspace, Costello said.
For anyone who thinks they may have seen a drone, Costello suggested taking a note of the time of the sighting before contacting the FBI or FAA. That way, he said, the agencies can check their flight radars to see if any aircraft traveled through the area at that time.
FAA bans drones in the area
Last month the Federal Aviation Administration issued a temporary flight restriction prohibiting drone flights over Trump National Golf Club Bedminster and the Picatinny Arsenal military research and manufacturing facility in Morris County. The move came "at the request of federal security partners," the FAA said.
What to do if you see drones in Bucks County
The FBI asks that anyone who sees the drones call 1-800-225-5324 or submit tips and video footage at https://www.tips.fbi.gov.
Attempts to interview members of both the FBI and FAA for this article were not immediately successful.
Jess Rohan can be reached at jrohan@gannett.com.