Community concerned after mysterious drone sightings shut down airspace over air force base

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WRIGHT PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE — People in at least seven states said they have seen mysterious aircraft in the past few weeks.

Drones around Wright-Patterson Air Force Base forced the base to close its airspace for hours this weekend.

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News Center 7′s John Bedell worked to get answers from the state and federal leaders.

“I really want to know what they’re doing,” Haley Roark said.

People said they want to know what’s behind mysterious drone sightings across several states lately.

Especially now with a report in the Miami Valley.

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“It’s kind of hard to believe, I’m ex-Air Force. So I think the technology and things that they have nowadays … it’s hard to imagine that taking place over the base,” Maurice Wimblery of Fairborn said.

Wright-Patterson’s public affairs office told News Center 7 that small drones spotted near and over the base late Friday night caused base officials to shut down its airspace for four hours into early Saturday morning.

“I live right next to the base and I’m used to hearing jet planes fly over our house all the time,” Roark said.

A base spokesperson told News Center 7 that none of what they described as “incursions” impacted people who live on the base, or base facilities or assets.

News Center 7 reached out to Dayton Congressman Mike Turner.

Turner chairs the House Intelligence Committee.

In a statement to News Center 7 Turner said, “I have been personally briefed by Wright-Patterson Air Force Base leadership.”

He declined to comment further.

News Center 7 also reached out to Gov. Mike DeWine’s office.

One of his spokespeople said, “Our office is not in a position to comment at this time.”

“It’s a possibility nowadays that they could have some foreign entities or people just trying to make (expletive) happen. I mean, That’s just the way things are going. They want to create havoc or things of that nature - unrest,” Maurice Wimberly said.

News Center 7 also reached out to the Ohio National Guard.

The Springfield Air National Guard base is less than 10 miles from Wright Patt.

We will continue to follow this story and update if we receive a response.

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