Pilot reports mysterious drone near JFK airport in New York

Examiner.com ^ | 3/5/2013 | Marv Dumon

[Marv Dumon]

On Monday, an Alitalia pilot reported seeing a mysterious black drone flying above New York near JFK International Airport, which is one of the busiest in the world. Minutes later, another unidentified pilot reported a similar sighting of a black unmanned aircraft. The incident was first reported by ABC News.

Government officials are currently launching a multi-agency preliminary investigation which includes the Federal Aviation Administration and the FBI. The Joint Terror Task Force is also looking into the matter to see whether there are any travel or homeland security threats and risks.

[COBOL2Java]

Have no fear, citizen, all is well!

[saganite]

If there really was a black unmanned drone flying over JFK it’s because some federal agency put it there.

[cripplecreek]

We’re going to end up with a crash and subsequent denials.

[Red Badger]

Only Now????.......

[humblegunner]

Hi, Marv.

Sure looks like you are just here to promote your own Examiner blog material.

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/by:marvdumon/index?tab=articles

Have you any thoughts on that?

[Deathtomarxists]

So do they use r money to buy drones so they can scare us and then get more money todefend and investigate. Maybe it was just a Toy remote some kid was flying?

[Red Badger]

Who’s to say it isn’t an Al-Queda drone? Some cheap RC plane put together in the basement of a mosque?...........

[Buckeye McFrog]

Not necessarily. Grad students from any halfway decent engineering school could build such a thing. As could terrorists who likely had student visas here.

[Buckeye McFrog]

I would lay better than even money that the next high-profile political assassination is carried out with a drone. For one thing AQ seems to be all kinds of eager to avenge what drones have been doing to them.

[Texas Eagle]

Black drone, eh? Did it look anything like this?

[COBOL2Java]

HG, you'd think the blog pimps would have realized by now that very few people click on their so-called "excerpt" links. If it ain't one of the major newspapers that require excerpting, enough of us can smell blog pimping and just stay away from their attempts to up their hit scores. But, I guess like the Nigerian email scammers, there are enough easy marks to make it worth the effort.

[holden]

I imagine it won't be long before someone decides General Aviation "isn't safe" with all the drone traffic, so GA will face (further) restrictions. Sport and recreational flying will probably be seen as a threat to their monitoring (control) activities, and be canceled altogether.

"Only those on an approved flight plan may fly" is only an Executive pronouncement away. Then GA can forget flight plan approvals for anything that happens to go near expected drone traffic for the month ahead.

Pretty soon these DHS drones might be brought in as freely as urban building and street cameras. Gee, with all my Flight Simulator experience, if I wanted to work out of a trailer, I could probably get hired as a $20/hour drone pilot.

HF

[saganite]

I figure if it was large enough to be spotted by an airline pilot it’s probably bigger than something a student could put in the air. If it was really small though, it would have been very close to the aircrafts flight path.

[exit82]

Yeah, he drones on and on and on..........

[GBA]

I wonder whose it was. Might be GovCo's or someone with a RC drone hobby, but given the state of the world, our friends and enemies list and where this happened, forgive me if I consider other possibilities.

I haven't worried about an islamic attack here like 9/11 with obama as president, because the opinion seems to be that obama is either a kindred spirit or a card carrying member of the team and they don't want to hurt him by hurting us.

But since he won the last election, all restrictions have been lifted and we are headed for the next phase. Be prepared and think out of the box. Your future self will either thank you or curse you for what you did or didn't do today.

[humblegunner]

Actually, Examiner blog requires excerpting.
Gives the pimp something to hide behind.

In the end, though, Examiner is just another disease ridden blog “staffed” with amateurs and plagiarists.

[Mouton]

Actually it may have happened:

“U.S. INSPECTOR GENERAL KILLED BY MODEL PLANE
LEESBURG, Virginia, July 6, 1982 - Paul R. Boucher, the inspector general of the Small Business Administration, was fatally injured Sunday by a remote controlmodel airplane. He was 40 years old.

The Louden County Sheriff’s Departmentsaid that Mr. Boucher, wholived in Vienna, Virginia, died shortly after the accident in a park near Arcola.

A model plane from another area of thefield went out of control, stricking Mr. Boucher, the authorities said. Thesheriff’s department said he died of an injury to his liver caused by theimpact of the model plane’s propeller.”

[ladyjane]

We’re going to end up with a crash and subsequent denials.

Like TWA800?

[Red Badger]

Drones are not as ‘high tech’ as most people seem to think. RC aircraft have been around for decades and decades. All it takes for a terrorist to make one into a flying bomb is to add some explosive material or liquid. Fly one near a big airport and eventually one will be sucked into a jet’s nacelle...............

[cuban leaf]

I was flying a kite at Coulon Park in Renton, Wa. once using fishing line. The sucker went up really high. There is a small airport nearby where they built Boeing 737’s.

The police came and asked me to pull it in.

[silverleaf]

not to worry you but - Iran did “capture” at least one of our drones

therefore Islamic Terrorists, Inc (a subsidiary of the “elected” govt of Iran) has the technology

[Iron Munro]

My word!

A real UFO!

[silverleaf]

and why not?

obamas bumbling inept advisors and their strategy of drone attacks throughout the middle east and Africa, have now made political assassination by drone, in a 3rd country with which the attacker has no declared state of war, with no warrant, trial or conviction - but merely preponderance of evidence the target might be a threat - a legal tactic and activity of international diplomacy

oh, and collateral damage - acceptable

Imagine the world reaction if the regime using such tactics suffers an attack on itself and tries to act outraged

[knarf]

Slurpy Spies!

[mbarker12474]

[knarf]

Secret Salt Surveilance !

Flying Fat Finders !

Trolling Tobacco TaskForce !

[American in Israel]

The Joint Terror Task Force is also looking into the matter to see whether there are any travel or homeland security threats...

If the idiots in the airports are any example, buying drones for Homeland Security is definitely a Homeland Security threat.

[Girlene]

lol

[GraceG]

Hi, Marv.

Sure looks like you are just here to promote your own Examiner blog material.

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/by:marvdumon/index?tab=articles

Have you any thoughts on that?

I think he should be burned I say, burned at the STEAK!!!!!!!!

HOW DARE ANYONE PROMOTE ANYTHING HERE!!!!!!

[MrEdd]

Just like you. Maybe you can get a job there.
.no wait.
They are a free enterprise, believing in working and getting paid.

Mumblebumbler is more the “I demand FREE stuff” mentality.
A far better match for the occupy movement.

And, since he participates in the freepathons (Jim Robinson as it turns out also wants his costs defrayed) MumbleBumbler is also a hypocrite.

Shall we have this little debate again, so you can slink off in the end again, oh shill for the liberal media Bumbler?

[humblegunner]

What “little debate” would that be?

So far I see you flinging made-up bullshit.
Is that what you call a debate?

Lay on, dude. Get it out of your system.

Defend scummy bloggers until you’re blue in the face.

[upchuck]

The Joint Terror Task Force is also looking into the matter to see whether there are any travel or homeland security threats and risks.

Of course there are. And her name is BIG Sis, known for lying through her teeth about airport delays caused by the sequester.

[nascarnation]

Well if it was football season, I’d figure it was Belichick out looking to spy on some Giants practice sessions....

[holden]

Hmmm, shadowing a jet on approach phase sounds to be at least a 150kt. capability. Although the Russian-accented narrator of this clip makes only very modest claims, suggesting certain capabilities are only a decade or more away, the Zero's eagerness to have such updated Blue Thunder toys would suggest more capable groups than this Russian's have been diligently at work on the capabilities being demonstrated.

HF

[Bigg Red]

Scary stuff, comrade.

[freefdny]

Ok I'm not getting all tin foil hat here but here's my on the scene intel report. Yesterday at around 3 pm I'm driving on a road that runs between JFK and a bird sanctuary nearby. There is a wide open bay between the two and I'm stopped at a light at the end of a small bridge on the road. I look over at a parking area adjacent to the bridge and see one vehicle, an SUV in the lot. There is a man with huge high powered binoculars looking out over the bay at the airport. I think “there's a bird watcher”. Then I look and see that he's got his back to the sanctuary and seems to be following the flight of a plane as it is taking off. As the light changes and I start to drive away I see that there is one more man also with binoculars away from the vehicle also looking in the same area as the other guy. It seemed slightly odd at the time. Now with the drone report, it seems even odder.

[ConservativeMan55]

bttt

[ronnie raygun]

Like TWA800?

Lets open a can of worms, anyone out there have the passeneger list?

[Girlene]

Thanks for the info. Whoops, look like my earlier post was deleted. Must have linked to a site I shouldn't have. Here's a link to NYPost with the same info. Pilot reports mystery black ‘drone’ at JFK

[Seizethecarp]

“U.S. INSPECTOR GENERAL KILLED BY MODEL PLANE
LEESBURG, Virginia, July 6, 1982 - Paul R. Boucher, the inspector general of the Small Business Administration, was fatally injured Sunday by a remote controlmodel airplane. He was 40 years old.”

Thanks for posting this. I have openly speculated on FR when the first intentional killing by drone would occur and whether the government, criminals, terrorists or a jealous lover would do the deed. This drone death was deemed an accident, but from the following additional information the victim is a person that could easily have had enemies who wanted him dead:

http://www.zoominfo.com/p/Paul-Boucher/1274443543

“He had served as a lawyer for several Government agencies, including the criminal division of the Justice Department, over the last 20 years. He was one of 15 Federal inspectors general ousted in a controversial purge by President Reagan on his first full day in office, January 21, 1981. He was then one of the five inspectors general who were quickly restored to their posts auditing Federal fraud and waste.”

See related FR thread with additional links and my tag line:

“Mysterious ‘drone’ sighting near JFK Airport sparks FAA investigation”

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2993660/posts?page=7

[Seizethecarp]

FYI:

See comments #30 and #31 on this related thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2993660/posts

#31 gives a pilot’s map of JFK and speculates on a location for the drone.

If I were you, I would call the FBI and give them your location at the time of this incident and a detailed description of the people with the binoculars.

It is possible that the people you observed programmed the drone’s GPS auto-navigation system to position the drone at a waypoint in the flight path of incoming airliners and then used the binoculars to observe any crash that might result.

If they didn’t do it today, it will be tried soon, IMO.

(See my tagline)

[Yosemitest]

Here's that comment on this thread.

From Fox News the report was about a 5 mile final to Runway 31 Right, JFK Airport, somewhere around the obstruction at 355 feet MSL.
My best guess would be somewhere around Harbor Isle. Island Park, Barnum Island, or Lido Beach, or somewhere over Brosewere Bay.
We need a better description of the drone, but if it was small and black, the pilot and copilot would have been pretty busy in the cockpit, configuring the aircraft for landing.

[Yosemitest]

I think you should report what you saw to the National Transportation Safety Board.
Select "Eyewitness Report" and follow the instructions or call them.
Do it, because it IS important.

[Cindy]

NOTE The following text is a quote:

www.fbi.gov/newyork/press-releases/2013/fbi-seeks-publics-assistance-in-identifying-locating-unmanned-aircraft-and-operator

FBI Seeks Public’s Assistance in Identifying, Locating Unmanned Aircraft and Operator

FBI New York
March 05, 2013

Main Press Line
212-384-2100

On Monday, March, 4, 2013, at approximately 1:15 p.m., the pilot of Alitalia Flight #608 spotted a small, unmanned aircraft while on approach to John F. Kennedy International Airport. The Alitalia flight was roughly three miles from runway 31R when the incident occurred at an altitude of approximately 1,750 feet. The unmanned aircraft came within 200 feet of the Alitalia plane.

The FBI is investigating the incident and looking to identify and locate the aircraft and its operator. The unnamed aircraft was described as black in color and no more than three feet wide with four propellers.

“The FBI is asking anyone with information about the unmanned aircraft or the operator to contact us,” said Special Agent in Charge John Giacalone. “Our paramount concern is the safety of aircraft passengers and crew.”

Anyone with information is asked to call the FBI at 212-384-1000. Tipsters may remain anonymous.

[Marv Dumon]

yes, im a starving writer. please donate to my paypal. thanks

[humblegunner]

please donate to my paypal. thanks

What's his name? What specifically do you pay him for?