NEWARK—The Embraer ERJ-170 jet was descending through 1,100 feet on final approach to Runway 22L at Newark Liberty International when pilots suddenly spotted a small, unmanned drone that passed overhead by just 15 feet.
Although no evasive action was taken by the Shuttle America flight, the August 10 incident was reported to the New Jersey State Police. The owner of the drone was never identified.
An analysis of Federal Aviation Administration data found New Jersey is among the top 10 states nationwide reporting improperly flown drones, some dangerously close to other aircraft. The examination of FAA reports by NJ Advance Media found more than two dozen incidents in the state involving drones in the wrong place at the wrong time, including one above a nuclear power plant.
Most of the pilot sightings were within a few miles of airports that included Newark Liberty, Teterboro and Atlantic City International Airport. Other drones were unexpectedly high off the ground, thousands of feet in the air, at altitudes that could have threatened manned aircraft. One was spotted flying near the Hope Creek nuclear generating station in Lower Alloways Creek Township, crossing the coastline from south to north. The pilot of a Piper PA-28R near Atlantic City International Airport reported in August encountering a black drone that passed in front of him from right to left at 1,000 feet, forcing him to pull up and make an immediate right turn to avoid it.
The data analysis showed New Jersey, with its crowded airspace, had the sixth most incidents in the country—with 28 reports of close calls between November 2014 and August 15. California had the most, at 171. Florida was second at 93. Nationwide, more than 650 drone sightings have been reported by pilots to the FAA in the past year, sometimes two or three times a day—nearly triple the previous year.
The FAA's current rules call for operators of most drones to remain under 500 feet, keep within visual line of sight, stay clear of manned aircraft, and not fly within 5 miles of an airport without contacting the airport and control tower.
Last week, federal officials announced it would impose new rules requiring the registration of all unmanned aircraft. "We intend to move very quickly," said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx in Washington.
The government launched a task force to come up with new regulations, with expectations that even those who already own drones will be required to register them.
"Our challenge has not been identifying the drone itself," said Fox. "It's connecting it back to the person who is using it."
The mounting numbers of close calls and sightings by pilots nationwide come as drones have become increasingly sophisticated while dropping sharply in price, flown by people with no special training. Much of that drone traffic has been driven by hobbyists and personal use, but there has also been a huge increase in commercial applications, including commercial photography.
Princeton University, for example, hired SkyCamUsa, a New York-based company that specializes in manned and unmanned aerial photography, to shoot a campus video showing never-before-seen vantage points of the university, and includes top-down views of Nassau Hall.
Police have also embraced the technology. Earlier this month, law enforcement personnel looking for a suspect in Midland Park were assisted by the Bergen County Rapid Deployment Force, which used a drone with a video camera to expand the search for the man.
Even crooks have also gotten into the act, cops say. Last year, police in Upper Saucon Township, Pa., arrested Chaviv Dykes, 20, of Newark, and Duane Holmes, 44, of North Bergen, who they said were suspected of using a drone to monitor police while they carried out burglaries in Pennsylvania and other states. The two were found carrying more than $50,000 in cell phones taken from a Verizon Wireless store and other electronics outlets during a string of smash-and-grab burglaries, according to police. Officials said Holmes was carrying a drone equipped with a remote control camera, which another detective had observed hovering over the township police station a day earlier.
While current rules do not require personal drones to be registered, those seeking to operate unmanned aircraft for business—such as commercial photography or farming—need authorization from the FAA. According to the agency, it has granted permission to 1,937 companies nationwide to date, ranging from insurance companies looking to do roof inspections, to firms that specialize in mapping and aerial photography.
The FAA said it has denied 399 petitions, "almost all of those for failure to supply information necessary to make a safety decision."
Two weeks ago, the FAA proposed a $1.9 million penalty against SkyPan International of Chicago for conducting what the agency called "reckless" drone operations over heavily populated cities, even after they were told they were violating federal regulations, an FAA official said. The company was accused of 65 unauthorized commercial drone flights over various locations from New York to Chicago between 2012 and 2014. The flights all involved aerial photography. The company, which has 30 days to respond, said it is reviewing the case.
For government agencies, the FAA issues a certificate of waiver or authorization permitting public entities and organizations to operate a particular aircraft, for a particular purpose, in a particular area.
State Sen. Richard Codey (D-Essex) last week introduced a package of bills in New Jersey that would require retailers to provide notice of FAA safety guidelines for flying model aircraft, and also require what is known as geo-fencing technology, which uses GPS or radio frequency identification to define geographical barriers, in drones sold or operated by a private individual or business in New Jersey. The technology would prevent them from operating above 500 feet or within two miles of an airport or protected airspace.
"It's getting worse and worse," he said of the drone invasion, pointing to last month's incident at the University of Kentucky game, where a drone piloted by a student in the parking lot during the pre-game celebration flew over the sold-out crowd at Commonwealth Stadium and crashed just before the Wildcats' home football opener.
"Obviously there are more and more of them and it's creating a problem," said Codey.
Foxx said with nearly 1 million drones in the skies, more regulation is necessary.
"This isn't riding your ATV on your own property," he said. "This is entering space where other users are occupying that space."
Story and photo gallery: http://www.nj.com
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