Wright-Patterson Air Force Base confirms additional drone sightings

GREENE COUNTY, Ohio (WKRC) – Wright-Patterson Air Force Base confirmed more mysterious drone sightings late Monday into Tuesday, adding to the growing number of sightings across the country. The base was briefly closed on Friday due to similar sightings.

Federal authorities have opened around 100 investigations into these incidents. The White House said drone sightings over the Northeast were a mix of law enforcement, commercial and private drones. Despite assurances from federal authorities that no threats to national security have been identified, the increase in sightings has left many people doubting what they are seeing in the sky.

Bree Benge, from West Chester, said: “I usually look out the window at planes flying by and notice something completely different.” She added: “There’s actually no noise, but usually the planes flying into Hamilton Airport are so low loud.”

Astronomer Dean Regas explained that the sightings could be divided into three groups: aircraft, astronomical objects such as Jupiter and stars, and man-made drones. “More people are watching the night sky and noticing things that may have been there before but are surfacing more,” Regas said.

He believes the sudden increase in sightings could be due to copycats, saying: “I think it kind of snowballs. These drones were probably there a lot, but people are starting to notice them and take photos, and now it’s a part of social media, so everyone’s kind of on guard.”

The FBI has warned that individuals are taking matters into their own hands to stop the drones. There has been an increase in incidents of planes mistaken for drones being fired upon or lasers flashed into pilots’ eyes. Regas warned: “Try to turn them off yourself, please don’t try that. They could be real planes, which would be very bad.”

The Ohio Bar Association has reminded the public that shooting down drones violates federal law. Violations of these laws can result in fines or up to 20 years in prison. Anyone with concerns about unsafe flight of a drone is asked to contact the FAA hotline at 866-TELL-FAA.