We found over 50 highly unusual incidents with our new FAA data mapping tool. And yes, there even are a few flying 'disks' and 'cylinders' in there.

The War Zone has begun to analyze some of the thousands of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) drone and unidentified aircraft incident reports collected in our new mapping tool. Several of these reports describe incidents that have been featured in our previous stories, including one that showcased nearly two dozen unusual incidents involving military aircraft or training ranges. However, many of them have provided leads on new and highly unusual incidents, ranging from puzzling high altitude encounters to craft described as cylinders and even discs.

As might be expected, the degree of severity of the incidents in the data set varies dramatically. Many of the reports describe common but nonetheless concerning safety hazards posed by errant recreational drones flown at low altitudes. Buried within the reports are also much more concerning incidents involving aircraft operating near sensitive facilities, such as nuclear installations and military bases, or at highly peculiar, and illegal, altitudes. The reports also vary considerably in terms of the type of aircraft described. Beyond the expected menagerie of commercial and recreational drones, a number of unusual vehicles are mentioned, including some balloon-drone hybrids, and a small smattering of references to what pilots described as UFOs.

 

We have created an interactive mapping tool that features nearly 10,000 drone and unidentified aircraft encounter incident reports that make up the FAA's database that spans seven years. You can check it all out here. UAVGEOGRAPHY.COM

While many of the stranger reports will understandably draw attention, it is important to recall that simple commercial drones constitute a growing aviation safety issue. While we are working to conduct a more thorough analysis, it bears mentioning that the FAA dataset has 556 references to “NMACs” or near mid-air collisions. For example, in 2019 one of the reports cited an orange drone passing within three feet of the wing of an aircraft flying at 2,800 feet near Boston, Massachusetts. This brief video from Aviation International News depicts research findings on the potential hazard posed by drones striking aircraft:

The Data Set

The FAA does not provide many details about exactly how it collects and filters its Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Sightings Report. However, the incidents largely focus on unauthorized or dangerous UAS activity. Given how broad the UAS designation has become, the reports also encompass a number of unidentified aircraft in addition to objects explicitly identified as drones and balloons.

The report summaries available in this data are typically brief. However, 72 percent of report summaries reference additional documents generated by the FAA’s Mandatory Occurrence Report (MOR) process. According to FAA regulations, a MOR must be generated whenever a pilot reports “unauthorized UAS activity or authorized UAS activity that is conducted in an unsafe or hazardous manner.” An example of a MOR report can be seen below. 

Example of a Federal Aviation Administration Air Traffic Mandatory Occurrence Report. Federal Aviation Administration

The reports help provide structured information about the incident, including whether the observed UAS or unidentified aircraft flew as part of a swarm formation, and the general shape and type of the aircraft.

Table of Vehicle Description Keywords. Data derived from FAA UAS Sightings Report. Adam Kehoe

The full data available in MOR reports are not included in the public data set. The War Zone has filed a Freedom of Information Act request to the Federal Aviation Administration Air Traffic Organization for copies of all MOR reports pertaining to these incidents. In the interim, we have filed individual requests on particular incidents of interest.

Highlighting Interesting Cases

It will take some time and the assistance of the public using our report mapping tool to fully identify all of the interesting cases, but below we will highlight some of the incidents we have found and examined so far. We have grouped some of the cases into thematic clusters. Many of the report summaries are written in highly dense, heavily formatted text that reveal fascinating details when read carefully.

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