December 2024 might go down as one of the most pensive months in aerospace history.

Throughout early December, the U.S. East Coast experienced a rash of mysterious drone sightings that left onlookers, officials and online sleuths perplexed. The sightings disrupted air traffic, forced the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to close or restrict airspace and left witnesses feeling uneasy.

Then, at the peak of holiday travel, two passenger jets crashed. The first, on Christmas Day, was an Azerbaijani aircraft that crashed in Kazakhstan. In a miracle, 29 people survived the crash landing and explosion. The second crash occurred Dec. 29, when a Jeju Air flight overshot its runway approach in Seoul and skidded into an embankment. The resulting collision and explosion killed 179 people on board.

While it may not be as catastrophic as August 1985, when four passenger plane crashes killed more than 700, December 2024 is certainly the most downcast in recent history.

Edgy East Coast residents scan night skies

In mid-November, unusual sightings of drones by law enforcement officers and reports of airspace incursions over military sites began to surface. Witnesses indicated unusually large drones, possibly up to 6 ft in diameter, hovering and maneuvering near the Raritan River in northern New Jersey. They interfered with a helicopter rescue operation and even chased a U.S. Coast Guard vessel patrolling offshore.

As the events became more newsworthy, the East Coast became a hotbed for drone sightings. Drones were spotted over airports in New York and Boston, and also in Virginia, California and Ohio. Eventually, arrests were made in some cases, where authorities identified individuals behind illegal drone flights.

After several prominent politicians called for a federal response, including Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, who claimed to have seen drones over his house, the FBI went on record: There were no drones.

After thousands of tips and weeks of speculation, the agency had only about 100 reports worth investigating further. However, these cases have not been confirmed, and most reports were attributed to manned aircraft, legal drone use or even stars. Hogan later confirmed he had mistaken planes and the constellation Orion for nefarious unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

As quickly as drone mania swept in, it faded. There have been few reports since mid-December. However, a moratorium on drone flights in New Jersey ends Jan. 18, and another chapter in this story may emerge. For now, it seems the drone disruption has reached its anticlimactic end.

Passenger jet shot over Russia, crashes in Kazakhstan

A regular passenger flight on Dec. 25, 2024, between Baku, Azerbaijan, and Grozny, Russia, proceeded unremarkably — until the plane was accidentally struck by a missile intended to repel Ukrainian attack drones from the city. The missile exploded upon contact with the plane, and shrapnel reportedly struck passengers. Pilots indicated an emergency, though they initially believed it was a bird strike. Videos of the plane suggest a loss of control surfaces, as the plane’s altitude varied wildly in its final moments.

Sadly, the pilots were unable to make an effective emergency landing after diverting to Kazakhstan. Tragically, 38 of the 67 people on board died. Days later, Russian President Vladimir Putin called his Azerbaijani counterpart and offered apologies but did not take responsibility for the accident.

Birds inhibit landing at South Korean airport

Four days later, a similar scenario unfolded thousands of miles away in Seoul. A flight that had been proceeding normally ran into trouble upon its approach to Muan International Airport. A bird strike caused enough damage to the plane that its landing gear failed to deploy, requiring the aircraft to perform a belly landing.

Although the pilots made a commendable effort, the plane skidded beyond the runway and crashed into an earthwork used for instrument landing systems. A fireball erupted from the plane, resulting in the deaths of nearly all those on board. Two flight attendants, who had been strapped into jump seats at the rear of the plane, survived, though they were injured.