New Jersey
'They found us': Coast guard crew in New Jersey reports mysterious drones, alleges White House cover up – Times of India
Coast guardsmen from Barnegat Light, New Jersey, are voicing frustration after federal officials dismissed their accounts of being followed by a fleet of drones while patrolling the Atlantic Ocean earlier this month.
A Coast guard member, speaking anonymously, shared his disbelief, stating, “It’s the implication that’s insulting.”
“It’s implying we’re making things up, when the ones making up things are down in Washington, DC.”
The sailor’s comments came shortly after the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) imposed temporary flight restrictions over parts of New Jersey and New York. He was among 12 crew members aboard the 47-foot rescue vessel that encountered the drones on the evening of the sighting.
“We were actually out there to see if we could spot any drones, because of all these sightings,” the sailor explained. “Well, we found some drones. Or more accurately, they found us.”
According to the sailor, the drones appeared suddenly around 9 pm and followed the vessel for about 15 minutes. The drone swarm mirrored the boat’s movements, shifting direction as the boat did. “They had four propellers, about seven feet across, with festive red, green, and white flashing lights,” he said. The drones flew at an estimated 80 to 100 feet above the vessel.
The swarm kept pace with the Department of Homeland Security boat, which was travelling at around 20 knots (just over 20 miles per hour). The drones eventually ascended, climbing an additional 100 feet before veering left towards the shoreline and disappearing from sight.
The sailor is adamant that these were no ordinary commercial drones. “Commercial airplanes don’t move like that. We know what drones look and sound like,” he said.
However, White House spokesman John Kirby downplayed the Coast Guard’s account, suggesting the drones could have been a mix of commercial, hobbyist, and law enforcement drones, as well as aircraft and even stars mistakenly identified as drones. Kirby stated that the sightings presented no national security or public safety threat, and suggested that the Coast Guard might have confused incoming airliners with drones.
The Coast Guardsman disagreed, saying, “I can’t pretend to know what’s going on, but those weren’t the types of drones you can buy at the store. These were government drones.”
The sailor added, “I don’t care what Kirby or [DHS head Alejandro] Mayorkas say — they’re full of sh-t.” He stressed that while their orders were to observe and not engage with the drones, they would have taken defensive action if the drones had acted aggressively.
Local officials, including Representatives Chris Smith and Jeff Van Drew, have criticised the federal response, demanding a clear explanation for the mysterious drone activity, the New York Post quoted.
Since November 18, more than 1,000 drone sightings have been reported over New Jersey, with dozens more in New York’s airspace, raising growing concerns over the presence of drones in civilian airspace. Federal authorities, however, maintain that the sightings pose no security threat.
How to protect your NJ home from wind: Video
Here’s how to windproof your home to minimize damage, and what to do if a tree falls on your property as a result of the weather
A severe thunderstorm watch looms over North Jersey on the evening of June 12 after days of extreme heat.
Nation Weather Service New York declared a severe thunderstorm watch for numerous North Jersey counties including Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, Essex, Morris and Sussex among other Central Jersey and New York counties. The watch is in effect until 9 p.m., according to the NWS statement.
In an hourly forecast from The Weather Channel for Paramus, there is a 74% chance of thunderstorms at 7 p.m.
High temperatures reached past 90 degrees in many parts of North Jersey on June 11 and June 12 as a heat advisory also remains in effect until 8 p.m., said NWS New York.
“Dangerous heat is expected to continue across much of our region through today, with several record highs likely to be challenged again. High temperatures are forecast to peak into the low to mid 90s across most of the area,” the National Weather Service said Friday.
A Heat Advisory is in effect until 8 p.m. across the state except for Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Salem counties.
PHILADELPHIA – Philip McPherson II, a 37-year-old from Riverside, New Jersey, was sentenced Thursday, June 11, to 78 months in prison for his role in a 2022 plane crash in Lehigh County that killed a student pilot, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Sentencing and charges for fatal Lehigh Valley crash
What we know:
United States District Judge John M. Gallagher sentenced McPherson to 78 months in prison, three years of supervised release, a $5,000 fine, a $4,300 special assessment, and $19,530 in restitution. Judge Gallagher also barred McPherson from working in the aviation industry.
McPherson pleaded guilty in October to involuntary manslaughter, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, obstruction of an administrative proceeding, and 40 counts of serving as an airman without a certificate.
The backstory:
Court filings show that on September 28, 2022, McPherson took off from Queen City Airport in Allentown as the pilot-in-command with student pilot K.K. and crashed shortly after, resulting in K.K.’s death.
Prosecutors said McPherson acted with gross negligence, knowing he was not competent to fly as pilot-in-command. He had two prior crashes, nearly a third, and failed a reexamination for his pilot’s certificate in September 2021.
McPherson voluntarily surrendered his pilot’s certificate in October 2021 and let his Temporary Airman Certificate expire in November 2021, acknowledging his inability to meet FAA standards.
He admitted to flying with passengers without a valid FAA pilot’s certificate between October 12, 2021, and September 20, 2022.
Investigators from the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, FAA, and Salisbury Township Police Department worked on the case, which was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert Schopf and Special Assistant United States Attorney Marie Miller.
What we don’t know:
Authorities have not released further details about the circumstances leading up to the crash.
The Source: Information from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
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