Drones Briefly Shut Airport, Governor Says in Urging Action

Drone activity briefly shut down a New York airport, Gov. Kathy Hochul said in pressuring Congress to take action in response to the scores of sightings of the unexplained aircraft. Stewart International Airport closed its runways for about an hour on Friday night, Hochul said Saturday, per USA Today. New York's State Intelligence Center is investigating the sightings along with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. The governor called on Congress to pass the Counter-UAS Authority Security, Safety, and Reauthorization Act, which would boost FAA oversight of drones and state and local agencies' authority to manage unmanned aircraft systems.

With local frustration building, Hochul also said the Biden administration "must step in by directing additional federal law enforcement to New York and the surrounding region to ensure the safety of our critical infrastructure and our people." The situation and the response:

• The sightings: In photos and videos, bright objects can be seen illuminated against a dark night sky, some moving and others seeming to hover. Witnesses, including law enforcement officers, have said their lights sometimes go out suddenly, shrouding them in darkness, per the New York Times. There's no evidence that they're connected, so there could be different explanations for the various sightings. The states have taken steps, with Connecticut announcing the deployment of a drone detection system.
• FBI reaction: An FBI official repeated the stance Saturday that many of the East Coast sightings have been of manned aircraft mistaken for drones, per CNN, saying flight approach patterns from nearby airports corresponded to sightings reported to tip lines. A tip line has been contacted 5,000 times, the official said, but fewer than 100 reports have warranted investigation. There's still no evidence of large-scale drone activity, the official said.
• Military view: "We don't know if it's malicious, if it is criminal," a Defense official said. "But I will tell you that it is—it is irresponsible." A Pentagon spokeswoman said last week that the military isn't behind the flights and that US officials don't suspect "a foreign entity or adversary."

(More drones stories.)