A wayward U.S. Department of Defense blimpcarrying a missile detection is believed to be connected to a series of power outages in Schuylkill, Columbia and Northumberland counties, officials said.
John Matz, Schuylkill County Emergency Management Director, said his agency has received reports of outages along Interstate 81 near Mahanoy City in Schuylkill County.
Similar reports have been received of outages along Interstate 80 in Columbia County, he said.
Kurt W. Blumenau, PPL spokesman, said the Allentown-based utility had 17,800 outages in Columbia County and 9,000 in Schuylkill County.
"We're still working on it," he said, "but based on the damage and flight trajectory it seems the blimpwas the cause."
Gov. Wolf's office reported the 5,000-foot-long tether attached to the aircraft caused widespread power outages as it came in contact with power lines.
"PPL reports that the damage appears most extensive in Columbia and Schuylkill counties," the governor said in a news release "Pennsylvania Emergency Management Administration (PEMA) continues to monitor power outages along the path of the balloon."
State police at Montoursville confirmed the helium-filled craft had been downed in Anthony Township, Montour County.
Police did not release details of how the craft landed.
"It's in custody of state police," a trooper at Montour said.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) reported that the tether had downed power lines, according to the Associated Press.
The unmanned blimp became untethered about 12:20 p.m. Wednesday from its berth at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland.
NORAD issued a bulletin around noon saying it was drifting toward Pennsylvania.
The New Jersey National Guard scrambled two F-16 fighter jets from Atlantic City to monitor the path of the blimp.
Though Schuylkill County had reports of the craft being seen around Port Clinton, it's uncertain whether it passed over Berks County.
At Reading Regional Airport, air traffic controllers had not seen the craft, believed to have been flying at 16,000 feet.
Though aware of its flight, Berks County Emergency Management agency had no reports of sightings in the county and was not called upon for assistance, a spokesman said.
The blimp is the kind used extensively in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to provide ground surveillance around U.S. bases and other sensitive sites.
"My understanding is, from having seen these break loose in Afghanistan on a number of occasions, we could get it to descend and then we'll recover it and put it back up," Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in a brief exchange with reporters at the Pentagon. "This happens in bad weather."
The Wolf administration said state authorities continue to work with federal, state and local authorities to secure the J-LENS aerostat equipment aboard the craft. Federal authorities and local emergency management personnel have confirmed the aerostat is contained and no longer moving in Montour County.
"Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) and the Pennsylvania National Guard will continue to assist authorities to secure the area and the downed equipment," the administration said. "These agencies will continue to be on scene to secure the area and ask all residents to remain away from the scene."
Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, PSP and the National Guard worked closely with local emergency management agencies from Schuylkill, Montour, Columbia and Lycoming Counties and numerous federal agencies to track the balloon throughout the afternoon.
Contact Ron Devlin: 610-371-5030 or [email protected].
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