Republic Airport drone sighting reported by pilot probed
Authorities are investigating the presence of a drone in the vicinity of Republic Airport on Sunday morning.
The pilot of a Piper PA-28 aircraft reported seeing an unmanned aircraft operating at an altitude of 2,000 feet 6 miles north of the airport in East Farmingdale in Suffolk County about 8:20 a.m., said Jim Peters, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.
The Piper aircraft was approaching to land at the airport at the time of the drone sighting, Peters said. The FAA said it notified the Suffolk County Police Department.
The FAA prohibits drones from flying higher than 400 feet near airports and mandates that drone users contact nearby airport operators or air traffic control facilities if they plan to fly within 5 miles of an airport.
A police department spokesman said Sunday afternoon that they could not immediately comment. An airport representative could not be reached.
Nicole Fuller is Newsday's senior criminal justice reporter. She began working at Newsday in 2012 and previously covered local government.
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Get ready for sun and fun with NewsdayTV's summer FunBook special! From celebrating America's 250th birthday to a new ride at Adventureland, NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano and Newsday lifestyle editor Meghan Giannotta have your inside look at Newsday's summer FunBook.
