An unusual aircraft was spotted over Newtown and Wrightstown townships, as reported by locals and confirmed by flight tracking software.
Readers of NewHopeFreePress.com and NewtownPANow.com informed the news outlet about a light-colored tiltrotor aircraft seen overhead on Monday morning.
“I’ve never seen a plane or helicopter like that over Bucks County,” said reader Beth R., who spotted the craft.
Another reader, Jay Green, snapped photos of the aircraft as it passed over Bucks County.
The aircraft was identified as a AgustaWestland AW609, which is manufactured at Northeast Philadelphia Airport.
The AW609 merges a helicopter’s landing capabilities with the speed and range of a conventional plane. It operates akin to both a helicopter and an airplane and can achieve greater altitudes and speeds than regular helicopters.
The design of the AW609 is similar to the larger military Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey.
The Northeast Philadelphia AgustaWestland aircraft facility also manufactures TH-73A Thrasher helicopters for the U.S. Navy, the AW139 for various clients, and the MH-139A Grey Wolf for the U.S. Air Force. Sightings of these models over Bucks County are not uncommon.
The development of AgustaWestland AW609 began in the 1990s and has undergone multiple changes. Its production has ramped up over the past year.
