A Reagan National drone sighting halted departures at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) for about 20 minutes on the night of September 16. Two flight crews independently reported an unidentified object near Runway 19. The pause tested one of the most heavily restricted airspaces in the country. DCA sits near the White House, the Capitol, and the Pentagon.
Inside the Reagan National Drone Sighting: Two Pilots, One Warning
The first report came around 8 p.m. from the crew of an American Airlines regional jet arriving from Tulsa. The pilot radioed the tower with a quick description, according to air traffic control audio reviewed by CNN. “We saw, like, a drone or something that went flying by, probably halfway down the runway,” the pilot said. Minutes later, a charter pilot preparing to depart for New Jersey reported a light. He also believed it could be a drone.
The controller relayed a warning to other aircraft: “unauthorized UAS activity reported in the vicinity of DCA, type and color unknown.” Meanwhile, the tower held departures while ground personnel checked the runway. “It definitely wasn’t nothing,” the controller told the pilot who made the first call.
No Drone Found, Investigation Still Open
However, airport operations staff searched the area but did not locate a device. In a statement to ABC News, the FAA confirmed it “briefly paused departures at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport for about 20 minutes after two flight crews reported seeing a drone near Runway 19.” The agency also said it notified local and federal authorities. The FBI told ABC it works with federal partners to “detect, track, and investigate illegal drone activity” near airports. No one reported injuries, and flights resumed normally once the search turned up nothing.
Unauthorized drone activity in DCA’s restricted airspace can carry federal charges. Penalties include fines up to $100,000 and up to a year in prison. So far, authorities have not announced any arrests, and no one has identified the operator.
A Familiar Pattern at a Uniquely Sensitive Airport
The FAA receives more than 100 drone sightings near airports every month nationwide. However, two independent flight crews corroborating the same object in one of the country’s most tightly controlled corridors makes this incident stand out. It follows a string of unauthorized drone incursions FODNews has tracked at other major airports this year. Notably, those include a nearly hour-long shutdown at Málaga Airport and a drone that hovered 25 feet above San Diego International’s control tower. Each case ended the same way: a temporary halt, a ground search, and no device recovered. As a result, that pattern underscores how little detection infrastructure exists, even at airports built to stop far more conventional threats.
Stay informed — subscribe to FODNews for daily coverage of FOD incidents and prevention worldwide.
