Buzz
As passengers, we rely on the expertise of pilots, whose extensive experience makes them uniquely qualified to identify unusual phenomena in the skies. Reports of UFOs from these seasoned professionals often hold greater credibility than those from individuals on the ground.
10. JAL Flight 1628 Incident
In November 1986, the crew of Japanese Airlines Flight 1628 reported a UFO sighting over Alaska. This event gained widespread attention when the FAA decided to investigate, as the unidentified object had been detected on radar at the Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center.
Captain Kenju Terauchi and his two-person crew were on a unique mission, transporting French wine from Paris to the US via Iceland and the Arctic Circle. During the flight, the pilot noticed lights on both sides of the aircraft. Initially, he dismissed them as US military jets monitoring the Soviet border, but the lights soon reappeared, now much closer to the plane.
“After observing the lights for about seven minutes, two spacecraft abruptly halted in front of us, emitting bright lights,” Terauchi recounted. “The cockpit was illuminated, and I could feel warmth on my face.”
Terauchi described the objects as square-shaped with jet propulsion systems featuring circular exhausts arranged horizontally around a dark core. He noted that the exhaust jets seemed to adjust automatically, with some intensifying while others weakened, likely to maintain stability. Additionally, he mentioned interference with ground communications, describing it as a jamming noise resembling “zaa, zaa.”
Following the incident, Terauchi’s credibility was questioned due to his history of reporting UFO sightings and his eagerness to label them as extraterrestrial. Discrepancies emerged between his interview statements and the FAA’s communication records. Moreover, his copilot and flight engineer only described the objects as lights, offering no further details.
The FAA determined there was insufficient concrete evidence to support Terauchi’s claims, and the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry proposed that the sighting could be attributed to light refraction caused by ice crystals within clouds.
9. Andrew Danziger
In 1989, First Officer Andrew Danziger was aboard a flight from Kansas City to Waterloo, Iowa. Upon reaching an altitude of 4,500 meters (15,000 ft), he observed a white disk visible through the clouds to the right of the aircraft. After consulting with the pilot, who also saw the object, they dismissed possibilities such as the Moon, a searchlight, or any ordinary aerial phenomenon. They continued their duties while periodically monitoring the mysterious object.
Twenty minutes later, Danziger noticed the white disk had transformed into a large red sphere hovering above the clouds, moving in sync with the plane. As the aircraft descended to 4,000 meters (13,000 ft), the sphere also lowered and disappeared behind the cloud cover. Shortly after, a burst of multicolored lights erupted within the cloud.
Danziger described the cloud stretching apart “like Silly Putty,” after which the object, lights, and cloud vanished entirely. Air traffic controllers confirmed no radar detection of the object, and when asked casually, “Do you want to report a UFO?” they were provided with the contact details for the National UFO Reporting Center. The center informed them that similar sightings by other pilots were not uncommon.
Danziger’s account gained particular attention due to his role as Barack Obama’s pilot on Election Day in 2008. He also became known for his controversial claim that TWA Flight 800 was shot down in 1996, dismissing the official explanation of a faulty fuel tank as the cause.
8. Guernsey UFO
In 2007, Captain Ray Bowyer, piloting an Aurigny flight from Southampton to Alderney, observed several UFOs through binoculars near the British island of Guernsey. At first, he assumed the flat yellow disks were reflections from Guernsey’s greenhouses caused by the Sun.
However, he soon realized they were something unusual, as they did not cause the eye strain typically associated with sunlight reflections. Bowyer later admitted feeling “pretty shook up” by the encounter. Reports suggest that passengers on the flight and other nearby pilots also witnessed the objects.
Bowyer described one of the objects as a “sharp, slender, yellow object with a green section, hovering 2,000 feet above and remaining stationary. Initially, he estimated its size to be comparable to a 737, but due to its distance, he concluded it could be as large as a mile wide. During his descent into Alderney, he spotted a second, identical object to the west.
Following the incident, Bowyer’s UFO sighting received little attention from international media. However, he was later approached by four television crews, including teams from the Netherlands and Canada, all eager to cover the story.
Bowyer remarked at the time, “The real mystery is why there’s such sudden interest, with four groups from different countries all arriving in Alderney on nearly the same day. The chances of this happening randomly are slim. Someone, somewhere, is orchestrating this, and I aim to find out who that is.”
7. Xiamen Airlines
A post on a Chinese military-friendly Internet forum claimed that in 2011, three pilots in China reported seeing a glowing blue-and-white object. This account gained some credibility after being referenced in the Sydney Morning Herald, which cited a report from the Chinese newspaper Wen Wei Po.
The oval-shaped, blue-and-white object reportedly drifted silently across the flight path of a Xiamen Airlines plane as it descended toward Nanjing. Shortly after, the object sped up and vanished into the clouds.
The UFO was also allegedly observed by the crew of a Shandong Airlines flight approximately 120 kilometers (70 mi) north in Jiangsu province. They described it as a “white-blue, skateboard-shaped craft.” Another pilot flying 300 kilometers (190 mi) south in Zhejiang province reported a similar sighting to air traffic control.
In recent years, China has seen a surge in UFO reports, which are openly discussed among airline pilots and state media without the skepticism often seen in Western countries. UFO enthusiast Professor Sun Shili has suggested that aliens are drawn to China for the same reason they were reportedly seen over the US in the 1950s—because they are most interested in the dominant global power.
6. Bariloche Incident
In 1995, an Aerolineas Argentinas flight approaching Bariloche Airport encountered a luminous disk that moved in ways seemingly defying physics. Reports in South American and European newspapers stated the pilot had to perform evasive maneuvers. Simultaneously, Bariloche, a winter resort city, experienced a widespread power outage, later attributed to human error, a snowstorm, or both.
The airport also suffered a power failure, disrupting air traffic for 10–15 minutes. An Argentine newspaper quoted air traffic controllers saying, “the control instruments went crazy.” The UFO, described as a bright light, was witnessed by ground staff and the crew of a gendarmeria (police) plane flying 600 meters (2,000 ft) above.
Pilot Jorge Polanco recounted:
About 15 minutes from Bariloche, the control tower typically cleared us for landing. As I began the final descent, a white light suddenly appeared, racing toward us before stopping abruptly 100 meters (300 ft) away. When I resumed the descent, the object mirrored our movements, pacing our turn.
After some time, the saucer—comparable in size to an airliner—changed color, displaying two green lights at its ends and an orange glow in the center that flickered intermittently. As I initiated the final approach, the airport runway lights suddenly went out. I had to climb to [4,500 meters] while executing evasive maneuvers, with the UFO ascending at an incredible speed.
After the craft vanished, Polanco described spending the next “five minutes in the cabin with my heart pounding uncontrollably.”
5. Lake Erie Sightings
In 1995, Cleveland Air Traffic Control received reports from two airline pilots—Air Shuttle Flight 5959 and Mesaba Airlines Flight 3179—about a strange light observed by both crews over Lake Erie:
Cleveland Control: Air Shuttle 5959, is that traffic [you saw earlier] still visible? Do you see it out there now?
Air Shuttle 5959: Air Shuttle 5959, that’s correct. It’s a light that dims and brightens. I’m not sure if we’re getting closer to it, but it appears to have a rotating light around it, like a Frisbee-like object circling it.
Unknown voice: UFO.
Cleveland Control: Mesaba 3179, do you see the same thing?
Mesaba 3179: Ah, sir, I noticed it as we were leaving Detroit. I saw a few very bright flashes of light, almost like lightning, which caught my attention. As I kept watching, the light dimmed slightly. It seemed to be below the cloud layer. This happened just as we were departing Detroit.
The Mesaba pilot attempted to communicate with the object by flashing the aircraft’s lights, but there was no response. Cleveland Control found no radar traces and suggested the light might be a beacon reflection. The pilots disagreed, stating the light was pulsating at 3,000 meters (10,000 ft) and was clearly unusual.
Cleveland Control expressed interest in capturing an image of the phenomenon, and the Mesaba pilot complied:
Masaba 3179: Just to let you know, I took a photo from the captain’s seat on the left side. I also captured some stars in the frame, so the lowest light in the picture should be the object in question. You might be able to determine its position using the stars if needed.
Cleveland Control: Okay, great. That’s a good idea, thanks.
Masaba 3179: It was taken with an instant camera. Good night, sir.
Cleveland Control: Good night.
4. Chiles-Whitted Case
In 1948, one of the first documented UFO sightings by commercial pilots involved Eastern Airlines pilots Clarence Chiles and John Whitted. While flying from Houston to Atlanta, they observed a mysterious object at approximately 1,500 meters (5,000 ft). About 30 kilometers (20 mi) southwest of Montgomery, Chiles noticed a light approaching the plane at an extraordinary speed, far exceeding that of a jet.
During a 1968 hearing before the House Committee on Science and Astronautics, both pilots testified that the UFO was a wingless and tailless craft. They were astonished to see two rows of windows or openings emitting an intense glow, described as “similar to burning magnesium.”
The pilots described the object as having a pointed front and a bluish glow running along its underside from the nose to the tail. A long, orange-red exhaust trail extended behind the UFO. They estimated its size to be similar to a Boeing B-29 but twice as wide.
As the UFO approached, Chiles executed a sharp left turn, causing turbulence as the object passed within 20 meters (70 ft) of the aircraft. One passenger reported seeing a “strange, eerie streak of light” but could not provide additional details.
Additional sightings of a peculiar light streak were reported by a crew chief at Robins Air Force Base in Macon, Georgia, and a pilot near the Virginia–North Carolina border. Initially, the event was attributed to a mirage and later to a meteor.
3. 1952 Washington Sightings
In June and July 1952, a series of UFO sightings occurred over the US East Coast, with multiple reports from airline pilots. On July 19, 1952, air traffic controllers at Washington National Airport detected unusual blips on their radar and reached out to nearby commercial flights to inquire about any strange sightings.
Casey Pierman, piloting Capital Air Flight 807, responded that he had seen bright lights resembling “falling stars without tails” moving erratically in various directions. Later, Captain Howard Dermott of Capital Air Flight 610 reported a light following his plane as it neared its destination. F-94 jets were dispatched from New Castle Air Force Base in Delaware but found nothing unusual.
A week later, the radar at Washington National Airport picked up similar blips, prompting another military response. Jet pilots reported seeing strange lights moving away at high speeds. Pilot William Patterson stated: “I attempted to approach the objects below 1,000 feet. Even at maximum speed, I couldn’t catch up and eventually gave up the chase.”
Some accounts claim that President Harry Truman authorized the air force to shoot down flying saucers, but the order was reportedly withdrawn after Albert Einstein and other scientists cautioned that “extraterrestrials would view an attack using primitive jet firepower as a violation of universal hospitality laws.”
The US Air Force and UFO skeptics have suggested that the radar blips were likely caused by temperature inversions, a phenomenon where cold air is trapped beneath warm air during hot summers. This can cause radar beams to reflect off ground objects, such as cars or telegraph poles, making them appear as if they were airborne.
2. BOAC Labrador Incident
In 1954, a British Overseas Airways Corporation Stratocruiser, en route from New York to London, encountered a massive, shape-shifting UFO accompanied by smaller objects near Labrador, Canada. During a refueling stop, the crew was interviewed by US Air Force personnel, and the incident quickly became a media sensation.
Captain James R. Howard, a former RAF pilot, stated that the unusual formation of objects trailed his plane for 130 kilometers (80 mi). The objects were also reportedly detected on radar at the USAF Cartwright Air Station in Labrador.
Howard provided this account to the British magazine Everybody’s Weekly:
It wasn’t a typical flying saucer. What I observed was more like a flying arrow at one point. Its shape seemed to shift as it flew alongside us, resembling the way a jellyfish changes form as it moves through water. Alternatively, the shape changes might have been due to the varying angles from which we viewed it as it maneuvered. [ . . . ] Whatever it was—a massive flying wing, a jellyfish-like entity, or a saucer—I am certain of this: It wasn’t a trick of light or a product of imagination. It wasn’t an electrical, magnetic, or natural phenomenon. And it definitely wasn’t a mirage.
The largest object appeared to change shape, resembling a pear, an arrow, and a telephone receiver at different times.
Belgian researcher Wim Van Utrecht proposed that the sighting might have been a large flock of starlings illuminated by the setting Sun, which could account for the shifting shapes. However, this explanation is unlikely, as starlings typically do not fly at such high altitudes. Additionally, it would have been impossible for the birds to match the aircraft’s speed for the 18-minute duration of the encounter. US researcher Brad Sparks speculated that the event could have been caused by an unusual bird migration influenced by abnormal weather conditions.
1. Nash-Fortenberry Incident
In 1952, a Pan American World Airways DC-4 was on a routine flight from Miami to New York. While the plane was on autopilot, First Officer William B. Nash and Second Officer William H. Fortenberry observed a bright orange glow near Newport News.
Nash later recounted their experience:
Almost instantly, we realized it was a group of six bright objects racing toward us at incredible speed, clearly flying below our altitude. They glowed like hot coals but were far more intense, perhaps 20 times brighter than the ground or city lights they passed over. Their shapes were distinctly circular, with sharp, well-defined edges and a uniform red-orange hue across their upper surfaces.
The pilots noted that the objects were arranged in a slightly tilted echelon formation, with the lead object at the lowest point and each subsequent one slightly higher. The lead disk abruptly slowed, causing the two behind it to waver, as if caught off guard. The formation then darted across the Chesapeake Bay toward the aircraft, executing a new maneuver as Nash and Fortenberry struggled to track them from the cockpit windows.
The objects tilted on edge, revealing a coin-like shape, with their lower halves unlit. Two additional disks joined the formation before they all sped westward in a new arrangement, performing a maneuver akin to a ball bouncing off a wall. The lights of the objects vanished momentarily, only to reappear at a lower altitude over the bay, where they ascended sharply before disappearing one by one.
Astrophysicist Donald H. Menzel later proposed this explanation for the sighting:
A temperature inversion can create a concentrated layer of haze, ice crystals, smoke, or other particles. [ . . . ] Multiple layers of such haze can stack on top of each other. A sharply focused searchlight shining through these layers at night can appear as a series of disks. As the searchlight moves, the disks may seem to spread out, show perspective, and, when the searchlight turns, the disks may appear to ricochet.
