Drone Sightings in Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky (Dec 14, 2024)

📍 Location

📝 Description

Between December 12 and December 14, 2024, residents in Middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky reported multiple drone sightings, with witnesses noting drones seen near private land and in patterns described as grid-like. In Nashville's Scotts Hollow area, a resident reported a drone sighting at exactly 6:50 PM on consecutive nights, later sharing photos. In Lebanon, a Dec 12 sighting occurred just before 5:00 AM, described as drones flying in a grid-like pattern over the Tuckers Crossroads area and not following typical air traffic paths. In Nortonville, Kentucky, a sighting around 9:30 PM on Friday (Dec 12) was also reported. Local authorities said drones operating under FAA rules (typically under 400 feet) are legal, and the FAA indicated they were monitoring reported UAS sightings but had not received calls, and there was no evidence of a threat. The coverage aligns with a broader national pattern of nighttime drone sightings in the Northeast around New Jersey, where federal agencies and officials noted no confirmed threat and ongoing investigations. As of mid-December 2024, there was no official determination that these Tennessee/Kentucky sightings were anything other than routine drones or misidentified aircraft, though observers described unusual flight patterns and lights in some reports.

🔍 Circumstances

Multiple civilian reports across Dec 12–14, 2024; sightings prompted media coverage in Nashville and nearby areas; authorities (FAA, Metro Nashville Police) indicated ongoing monitoring but no confirmed threat or calls; reports referenced a nationwide spike in nighttime drone sightings linked to New Jersey activity; FAA rules cited (operations under 400 feet, maintaining line of sight, avoiding restricted airspace).

👤 Physical Description

Drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) observed by residents; some reports described bright lights and “grid-like” flight patterns; no consistent shape beyond generic drone descriptions; some accounts referenced large or unusual flight characteristics but no verified visuals of non-drone objects.

ℹ️ Additional Details

FAA stated legal drone operation under 400 feet with safety rules; no calls to police reported by local agencies; no confirmed involvement of foreign actors or security threat; coverage places these sightings within a national context of widespread sightings in late 2024, particularly around New Jersey, with investigations ongoing and official statements emphasizing lack of malicious intent or confirmed threat.

🔗 Sources (5)

👥 Community Contributions

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