02-20-2009, 02:34 AM
Posted by cjrothma February 19, 2009 18:10PM
Whoever is playing the UFO game in the skies over Morris County, stop it, says Morris County Prosecutor Robert Bianchi, whose his agency is investigating mysterious red lights sighted for the past month in the skies over the county.
But his initial intent is not prosecution but rather to get the persons who are launching what he believes to be lighted flotation devices to cease doing it for safety reasons.
John O'Boyle/The Star-LedgerMorris County Prosecutor Robert Bianchi in an October 2008 file photo.
"These objects are going high enough to enter into the flow of air traffic and cause potential problems," said Bianchi, who has been in touch with the Federal Aviation Administration on the issue. "They seem to be of a significant enough size to disrupt flights and have a potential to cause problems. It may be a game to someone, may seem funny, but it's not."
Bianchi said it is not clear any laws are being broken, but he said launching the lighted devices could be in violation of state or federal guidelines regarding air traffic. He said his agency is working with local authorities to gather evidence and find out who is responsible.
The prosecutor's office said it was notified of red lights observed Tuesday night in the air over Morris Plains. Many 911 calls also were received by police from residents in Morristown, Morris Township, Hanover, Denville, Parsippany and Montville about the lights.
Previous sightings occurred on the evenings of Jan. 7 and Jan. 30, said authorities. The lights appeared to be floating with the wind towards the north, they said. Air traffic controllers from Morristown Airport said the lights were floating at approximately 2,500 feet.
That sighting got the attention of the FAA, which has issued an alert to pilots, and got the agency talking to law enforcement.
The FAA said lights floating at 2,500 feet could be a threat to aviation on final approach to Newark Liberty International Airport. Bianchi also expressed concern about low flying aircraft coming into Morristown Airport, including helicopters flying to and from the trauma center at Morristown Memorial Hospital and to Picatinny Arsenal.
"Our mission is to ensure that all aircraft can operate safely in the national airspace system," FAA spokesman Jim Peters said today. "Any airborne object that is released into the airspace without the proper authorization represents a potential hazard to aviation."
Peters' office has been in touch with the federal North East Air Defense Sector and determined there were no military flights in this area at the time of the incidents. Also, authorities have been in contact with the federal Office of Homeland Security and the State Police Regional Operations Intelligence Center.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/02...ous_r.html
Whoever is playing the UFO game in the skies over Morris County, stop it, says Morris County Prosecutor Robert Bianchi, whose his agency is investigating mysterious red lights sighted for the past month in the skies over the county.
But his initial intent is not prosecution but rather to get the persons who are launching what he believes to be lighted flotation devices to cease doing it for safety reasons.
John O'Boyle/The Star-LedgerMorris County Prosecutor Robert Bianchi in an October 2008 file photo.
"These objects are going high enough to enter into the flow of air traffic and cause potential problems," said Bianchi, who has been in touch with the Federal Aviation Administration on the issue. "They seem to be of a significant enough size to disrupt flights and have a potential to cause problems. It may be a game to someone, may seem funny, but it's not."
Bianchi said it is not clear any laws are being broken, but he said launching the lighted devices could be in violation of state or federal guidelines regarding air traffic. He said his agency is working with local authorities to gather evidence and find out who is responsible.
The prosecutor's office said it was notified of red lights observed Tuesday night in the air over Morris Plains. Many 911 calls also were received by police from residents in Morristown, Morris Township, Hanover, Denville, Parsippany and Montville about the lights.
Previous sightings occurred on the evenings of Jan. 7 and Jan. 30, said authorities. The lights appeared to be floating with the wind towards the north, they said. Air traffic controllers from Morristown Airport said the lights were floating at approximately 2,500 feet.
That sighting got the attention of the FAA, which has issued an alert to pilots, and got the agency talking to law enforcement.
The FAA said lights floating at 2,500 feet could be a threat to aviation on final approach to Newark Liberty International Airport. Bianchi also expressed concern about low flying aircraft coming into Morristown Airport, including helicopters flying to and from the trauma center at Morristown Memorial Hospital and to Picatinny Arsenal.
"Our mission is to ensure that all aircraft can operate safely in the national airspace system," FAA spokesman Jim Peters said today. "Any airborne object that is released into the airspace without the proper authorization represents a potential hazard to aviation."
Peters' office has been in touch with the federal North East Air Defense Sector and determined there were no military flights in this area at the time of the incidents. Also, authorities have been in contact with the federal Office of Homeland Security and the State Police Regional Operations Intelligence Center.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/02...ous_r.html