While UFO enthusiasts may have hoped for evidence of extraordinary phenomena, the documents largely revolve around repeated sightings of drones near sensitive nuclear installations.

Nonetheless, these incidents provide an intriguing insight into ongoing challenges relating to these events.

The released materials include several detailed reports from 2022-2024, highlighting a surge of drone-related activity near nuclear facilities. The records reveal a pattern of sightings, as documented by the NRC, which were then sent to AARO to add to their yearly reports.

Here are just some of those incidents:

These records illustrate the growing amount of drone activity over critical infrastructure. Although the released documents primarily focus on drone sightings, they shed light on the broader scope of AARO’s work in addressing potential aerial threats—whether they stem from benign curiosity, commercial misuse, or nefarious intent.

While these incidents released by the NRC do not reveal any groundbreaking revelations about unidentified aerial phenomena, they underscore the critical need to address drone incursions at sensitive sites. This concern was magnified by the December 2024 drone sightings over the Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station in New Jersey, along with other sightings at Salem and Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Stations.

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FOIA-2025-000142 Release Package [24 Pages, 3MB]

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The post New Documents Highlight Drone Sightings Near Nuclear Facilities first appeared on The Black Vault.

Based on the recent admission by the US Navy that it investigates encounters with Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPs), more commonly referred to as Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs), The Black Vault attempted to identify reporting procedures and guidelines for commercial airliners and sought comment from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). “The FAA does not track UFOs. Please contact The National UFO Reporting Center,” the FAA told The Black Vault in an email. However, what appeared to be a contradiction to that statement, is the fact that The Black Vault discovered an FAA generated database which contains numerous UFO encounters, some as recently as March of 2019.

“Reported a UFO… moving from West to East just above horizon with steady light illumination,” said one report near Washington, D.C. “Fast moving… gone within 5 minutes.”

“A320 reported while taxiing inbound to the ramp, they had seen what appeared to be a UFO on their right side,” said another report from Punta Gorda, Florida.

In addition to these, there are more than 260 references to “unidentified” objects, aircraft and helicopters throughout the reports. These UFO cases are scattered throughout an FAA generated database of sightings of Unmanned Aviation System or UAS’, a reference to a drone system consisting of a craft and a human operator on the ground. Although most of the encounters found within are identified simply as drones operating within unauthorized areas, others categorize the sighting as UFOs, which the FAA blanket denies tracking. The Black Vault reached out to the FAA to clarify.

“We receive the information you see in the sightings database from numerous sources such as the general public, law enforcement, pilots and air traffic control. Not all sightings reported are aircraft or drones,” the FAA told The Black Vault. “Many times, the reports are not descriptive enough to make a determination and could be other objects (e.g. Mylar balloons or plastic bags).”

Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) operating under FAA policy, abide by Order JO 7110.65Y. Within this document, it has an entire section on UFOs, consisting of a single page. “Persons wanting to report UFO/unexplained phenomena activity should contact a UFO/ unexplained phenomena reporting data collection center, such as the National UFO Reporting Center, etc.,” it explains. “If concern is expressed that life or property might be endangered, report the activity to the local law enforcement department.”

On average, there are more than 16,100,000 flights handled by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) every year. That’s more than 44,000 flights per day, and during peak times, more than 5,000 aircraft in the sky at one time. Each flight is carefully tracked with call signs and tagged on radar. Due to these numbers, airline safety is the top priority for the FAA, and in today’s world, commercial drones are creating quite a problem for the crowded skies.

If there really are UFOs of unknown origin traversing the sky, the question is why wouldn’t the government agency with a paramount interest in aviation safety, be concerned and investigate each case?

UPDATE April 21, 2020

After compiling the database of the FAA since the above article was written, it was discovered the FAA continues to archive “UFO” reports within their drone sightings database. To download the entire, searchable, .pdf and excel spreadsheets, you can do so here.

FAA Statements in Full

Note from The Black Vault: In order to condense the FAA statements, some information was truncated. The FULL statements are reproduced below for additional information, as the FAA submitted to The Black Vault in response to various questions.

We receive the information you see in the sightings database from numerous sources such as the general public, law enforcement, pilots and air traffic control. Not all sightings reported are aircraft or drones. Many times, the reports are not descriptive enough to make a determination and could be other objects (e.g. Mylar balloons or plastic bags).

The FAA does outreach through the Know Before You Fly (knowbeforeyoufly.org) and No Drone Zone campaigns, making drone operators and the public aware of where drones can and cannot fly. We distributed public service videos to airports nationwide to amplify our UAS safety messages. And, the FAA partnered with Kittyhawk on a new and improved B4UFLY smartphone app (http://www.faa.gov/uas/b4ufly/) which answers very basic safety questions about where it is safe and legal to fly an unmanned aircraft.

Aircraft not visibly displaying a registration number or N# should be reported to the local Flight Standards District Office. See the bottom of the page, second bullet, at: https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/aae/programs_services/faa_hotlines/This link can also be accessed through our contact link at: https://www.faa.gov/contact/.

Anyone who observes a UAS being operated in a manner that interferes with manned aircraft flight, a drone operation that appears dangerous, or is being used to commit a crime should contact their local law enforcement agency. This helps the FAA and your local law enforcement discourage dangerous, illegal activity involving drones. Unauthorized drone operators may be subject to stiff fines and criminal charges, including possible jail time. You may also report drone sightings to the nearest local FAA office (http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/field_offices/fsdo/).

The post FAA Denies Tracking UFOs; Publishes Database Containing UFO Sightings first appeared on The Black Vault.

Reports of unmanned aircraft (UAS) sightings from pilots, citizens and law enforcement have increased dramatically over the past two years. The FAA now receives more than 100 such reports each month. The agency wants to send out a clear message that operating drones around airplanes, helicopters and airports is dangerous and illegal. Unauthorized operators may be subject to stiff fines and criminal charges, including possible jail time.

The FAA continues to work closely with its industry partners through the “Know Before You Fly” campaign to educate unmanned aircraft users about where they can operate within the rules. The agency also is working closely with the law enforcement community to identify and investigate unauthorized unmanned aircraft operations. The FAA has levied civil penalties for a number of unauthorized flights in various parts of the country, and has many open enforcement cases.

The FAA encourages the public to report unauthorized drone operations to local law enforcement and to help discourage this dangerous, illegal activity.

Document Archive

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Sighting Database, November 2014 – June 2019 [1,301 Pages, 8.2MB]

.zip File of Excel Spreadsheets and .PDF compilation [9MB]

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Sighting Database, September 2019 – December 2019 [147 Pages, 1MB]

.zip File of Excel Spreadsheets and .PDF compilation [9MB]

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The post Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Sighting Database first appeared on The Black Vault.

(Released 11/27/19)

The Justice Department announced today the publication of its updated Policy on the Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems. In light of advancements in unmanned aircraft system (UAS) technology, and lessons learned from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s limited use of UAS, the Policy enables the Department of Justice’s law enforcement components to safely and responsibly employ UAS technology within a framework designed to provide accountability and protect privacy and civil liberties.

Department of Justice Policy on the Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), 9-95.100

The Department of Justice seeks to leverage technological advances in pursuit of its mission to protect the public and enforce the laws.  In recent years, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) have rapidly evolved to become a paradigm-shifting technology with far-reaching societal impacts.  Among many other things, UAS are now a very promising tool for enhancing public safety and security.  The Department’s own use of UAS, to date, demonstrates their utility and potential.  Properly deployed, UAS can reduce risks to law enforcement officers and the public, while minimizing costs and increasing efficiency when compared to manned aircraft and other alternative tools.  UAS augment the ability of federal law enforcement officers to conduct a wide range of critical missions, including search and rescue, disaster relief, tactical-entry support, and fixed-site security.

In order to harness these benefits while guarding against associated risks, it is the policy of the Department to utilize UAS in an appropriate and responsible manner that advances the Department’s mission, promotes public safety, and protects privacy and civil liberties.  This Department of Justice Policy on the Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (the “Policy”) aims to facilitate the Department’s use of UAS within a framework designed to provide appropriate oversight, accountability, and transparency.

Applicability.  This Policy provides foundational standards governing the use of UAS by Department components and supersedes the 2015 Department of Justice Policy Guidance – Domestic Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).  The Deputy Attorney General may, at any time, modify or supplement this Policy, including by providing additional requirements or guidance for operational deployment, training, reporting, procurement, coordination mechanisms, and other matters.

Compliance with Law.  Consistent with the Department’s commitment to the rule of law and the protection of privacy and civil liberties, the Department’s use of UAS will comply with all applicable provisions of the Constitution, including the Fourth Amendment’s protection against unreasonable searches and seizures, and other laws and regulations, including regulations issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  Additionally, Department personnel may never use UAS to engage in discrimination that runs counter to the Department’s anti-discrimination policies or other anti-discrimination laws.

Scope of Use.  The Department will only use UAS in connection with properly authorized investigations and activities.  The scope of authorized investigations and activities is defined by applicable statutory authorities, rules and regulations, Attorney General Guidelines, and other policies and guidance.

Approvals.  Department components must promote meaningful oversight by ensuring that all UAS operations are approved at an appropriate level.  The appropriate approval levels should be tailored to the particular operational and tactical needs of the component’s UAS missions.  Prior to implementation, a component’s approval levels must be approved by the Deputy Attorney General to ensure that UAS are deployed responsibly.  Any subsequent change in approval levels must be approved in the same manner.

Access to Airspace.  In addition to basic compliance with FAA regulations, Department components will work with the FAA to develop and implement plans and procedures to provide any necessary specialized air traffic and airspace management support, including expedited FAA operational waivers and authorization, deconfliction, tailored operational security measures, and harmonization with UAS threat mitigation.

Training.  The Deputy Attorney General will approve a minimum UAS training standard applicable to all components.  That standard will capture the core competencies for personnel engaged in UAS operations across the Department.

Each component must also develop and implement additional training and certification requirements tailored to that component’s missions.  These additional requirements must be approved by the Deputy Attorney General.  Additionally, Department personnel using UAS or approving the use of UAS must receive training on the relevant legal and policy requirements, including this Policy.  Only personnel certified by their component as having completed these requirements may operate UAS.[1]

Tracking and Reporting.  The Deputy Attorney General will issue requirements for components to track and report relevant information pertaining to UAS operations.  These requirements will apply to all uses of UAS by the Department, including where the Department provides UAS support to State, Local, Territorial, Tribal, or other Federal agencies (collectively, “other agencies”) or where the Department requests and receives UAS support from other agencies.[2]

At a minimum, each component will provide to the Office of the Deputy Attorney General and the Office of Legal Policy an annual report summarizing that component’s UAS operations during the previous fiscal year.  This annual report will include a brief description of each type or category of mission flown; the number of times the component provided assistance to other agencies, as well as the purpose(s) for that assistance; and the privacy review conducted for the component’s UAS operations, as discussed further below.  Without revealing law enforcement, national security, or other information protected from disclosure, each of the components’ annual reports will be consolidated into a publicly releasable summary of Department-wide UAS operations.  This publicly releasable summary will promote transparency, ensuring the public is informed about the Department’s UAS operations in a manner consistent with the needs of law enforcement and national security.

Stakeholder Engagement.  To the extent appropriate and helpful, Department components may engage external stakeholders concerning the Department’s use of UAS, consistent with the protection of law enforcement, national security, and other information protected from disclosure.  For purposes of this Policy, “external stakeholders” refers primarily to State, Local, Territorial, and Tribal law enforcement agencies, but could include other external stakeholders, as appropriate.  For example, a component using UAS to monitor the perimeter of a secure facility in an urban environment may find it helpful to engage with local law enforcement authorities and other community stakeholders.

Protecting Privacy and Civil Liberties.  In determining whether and how to utilize cameras and other sensors associated with UAS, Department and component personnel (described in the paragraph below) will assess the potential intrusiveness and impact on privacy and civil liberties, which will be balanced against the relevant governmental interests.  Consistent with applicable laws and requirements, including the E-Government Act of 2002, and to ensure the protection of privacy and civil liberties, the Department will only collect information from UAS sensors, and will only use, retain, or disseminate information obtained from such UAS sensors, for a properly authorized purpose.

Senior Component Officials for Privacy will be responsible for conducting, in a manner approved by the Department’s Chief Privacy and Civil Liberties Officer, an assessment of the component’s overall use of UAS and associated sensors prior to deployment of new UAS technology.  Additionally, Senior Component Officials for Privacy must ensure that their component completes all appropriate privacy documentation and conducts annual privacy reviews of the component’s use of UAS to ensure compliance with existing laws, regulations, and policies relating to privacy and civil liberties and, where appropriate, make recommendations to the Deputy Attorney General and the Office of Legal Policy consistent with applicable privacy and civil liberty protections.  Components will follow existing procedures to review, investigate, and address privacy and civil liberties complaints.

Data Retention.  The Department will not retain information collected using UAS that may contain personally identifiable information for more than 180 days, unless the retention of information is determined to be necessary for an authorized purpose or is maintained in a Privacy Act system of records.  Data collected by UAS that is retained must be maintained and safeguarded in accordance with applicable Federal laws, Executive Orders, directives, policies, regulations, standards, and other guidance.  These authorities ensure that Department personnel with access to such data follow practices that are consistent with the protection of privacy and civil liberties.  Moreover, components must comply with the Federal Records Act and ensure that appropriate records retention schedules are in place for records generated through use of UAS.  Use of all Department information systems, which may include UAS component parts, may be monitored, recorded, and subjected to audit according to Department policy.

Procurement.  UAS component parts may constitute Information Technology (IT) capable of processing, storing, or transmitting information.  The procurement of IT must comply with applicable laws, policies, and regulations, including those administered by the Office of the Chief Information Officer.  The Department ensures appropriate security and privacy protections for data and IT through the risk-based Department Cybersecurity Program and effective IT management.  This includes oversight of acquisition and cybersecurity risks and supply chain risk management.  Moreover, before authorizing State, Local, Territorial, or Tribal agencies to use Federal grant funding to purchase or use UAS, components must ensure that the grant recipient has in place policies and procedures designed to safeguard privacy and civil liberties and mitigate cybersecurity risks.

Implementing Policies.  Components seeking to use UAS will implement the standards and requirements of this Policy in the context of their individual operating environments by issuing, with notice to the Deputy Attorney General and the Office of Legal Policy, component-specific UAS policies that are consistent with this Policy and all applicable law.  At a minimum, a component-specific UAS policy will address component requirements for training and certification, tracking and reporting of UAS missions, approvals of UAS operations, cooperation with the FAA on access to airspace and related operational matters, and the protection of privacy and civil liberties.

Internal Coordination.  The Office of Legal Policy chairs the Department-wide UAS Working Group.[3]  Under the direction of the Deputy Attorney General, the UAS Working Group provides a forum to coordinate and discuss matters relating to the use of UAS.  In furtherance of this Policy, and in consultation with the UAS Working Group to the extent appropriate, the Office of Legal Policy will direct and coordinate the following functions:

1. Advise the Deputy Attorney General on the creation and/or approval of the Department-wide minimum UAS training standard and the tracking and reporting requirements addressed in this Policy, and any additional requirements for operational deployment, training, procurement, and other related matters;
2. Review component proposals concerning approval levels for UAS operations and training and certification requirements;
3. Review component-level implementing policies;
4. Facilitate the annual summary of Department UAS operations;
5. Facilitate Department-wide efforts related to UAS procurement and training, in conjunction with relevant components and other departments and agencies, as appropriate;
6. Promote and share best practices on the use of UAS across Department components and with State, Local, Territorial, and Tribal law enforcement agencies, as appropriate; and
7. Recommend changes or improvements to this Policy.

Internal Policy Only.  This Policy applies to Department components and employees and is intended only to improve internal management of the Department of Justice.  It is not intended to, does not, and may not be relied upon to create any rights, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law by any party in any matter civil or criminal.

The post Department of Justice Policy on the Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), 9-95.100, Released November 2019 first appeared on The Black Vault.