List of alleged aircraft-UFO incidents and near misses
Encyclopedia
Alleged aircraft-UFO incidents and near misses involve incidents whereby plane pilots have come into visual contact with unidentified flying objects. Sometimes these have involved near miss
es.
Near miss (safety)
See Close Call, for the 2002 film.A near miss is an unplanned event that did not result in injury, illness, or damage – but had the potential to do so. Only a fortunate break in the chain of events prevented an injury, fatality or damage; in other words, a miss that was nonetheless very near...
es.
1942
- On 25 March, over the Zuiderzee an RAF Vickers WellingtonVickers WellingtonThe Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engine, long range medium bomber designed in the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey, by Vickers-Armstrongs' Chief Designer, R. K. Pierson. It was widely used as a night bomber in the early years of the Second World War, before being displaced as a...
from No. 301 Polish Bomber SquadronNo. 301 Polish Bomber SquadronNo. 301 Polish Bomber Squadron "Land of Pomerania" was a Polish World War II bomber unit. It was fighting alongside the Royal Air Force and operated from airbases in the United Kingdom and Italy.-History:...
at RAF HemswellRAF HemswellRAF Hemswell was an airfield used by RAF Bomber Command for 20 years between 1937 and 1957 and saw most of its operational life during World War II. Later used by RAF Fighter Command as a nuclear ballistic missile base during the Cold War it closed to military use in 1967...
commanded by 2nd Lt Roman Sobinski was followed by an orange-coloured luminous disc on a journey back from a missionBombing of Essen in World War IIDuring World War II, the industrial town of Essen, was a target of Allied strategic bombing.The Krupp factory was an inmportant industrial target, Essen was a "primary target" designated for area bombing by the February 1942 British Area bombing directive....
over EssenEssen- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
in the Ruhr Valley. The disc followed the bomber for five minutes at a distance of 150m and height of 14,000 ft and was fired on by the tail gunnerTail gunnerA tail gunner or rear gunner is a crewman on a military aircraft who functions as a gunner defending against enemy fighter attacks from the rear, or "tail", of the plane. The tail gunner operates a flexible machine gun emplacement on either the top or tail end of the aircraft with a generally...
, then disappeared at a very high speed. Such sightings were later christened foo fighterFoo fighterThe term foo fighter was used by Allied aircraft pilots in World War II to describe various UFOs or mysterious aerial phenomena seen in the skies over both the European and Pacific Theater of Operations....
s and many were seen in November 1944 on bombing missions over Germany.
1947
- Kenneth Arnold UFO sightingKenneth Arnold UFO sightingThe Kenneth Arnold UFO sighting was an incident on June 24, 1947, where private pilot Kenneth Arnold spotted a string of nine, shiny unidentified flying objects flying past Mount Rainier at then unheard of supersonic speeds that Arnold clocked at a minimum of 1,200 miles an hour...
– on 24 June, Kenneth ArnoldKenneth ArnoldKenneth A. Arnold was an American aviator and businessman. He is best-known for making what is generally considered the first widely reported unidentified flying object sighting in the United States, after claiming to have seen nine unusual objects flying in a chain near Mount Rainier, Washington...
saw up to 20 objects over Mount RainierMount RainierMount Rainier is a massive stratovolcano located southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States. It is the most topographically prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and the Cascade Volcanic Arc, with a summit elevation of . Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most...
in Washington State.
1948
- Mantell UFO incident – on 7 January an object was seen by four P-51 MustangP-51 MustangThe North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
s over Fort KnoxFort KnoxFort Knox is a United States Army post in Kentucky south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. The base covers parts of Bullitt, Hardin, and Meade counties. It currently holds the Army Human Resources Center of Excellence to include the Army Human Resources Command, United States Army Cadet...
in KentuckyKentuckyThe Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth... - Chiles-Whitted UFO EncounterChiles-Whitted UFO EncounterThe Chiles-Whitted UFO Encounter occurred on July 24, 1948 when two American commercial pilots reported that their Douglas DC-3 had nearly collided with a strange torpedo shaped object flying near them....
– on 24 July an object collided with an Eastern Air LinesEastern Air LinesEastern Air Lines was a major United States airline that existed from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida.-History:...
Douglas DC-3Douglas DC-3The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
near Montgomery, AlabamaMontgomery, AlabamaMontgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
. - Gorman DogfightGorman DogfightThe Gorman UFO Dogfight was a widely-publicized UFO incident. It occurred on October 1, 1948 in the skies over Fargo, North Dakota, and involved George F. Gorman, a pilot with the North Dakota National Guard. In 1956, USAF Captain Edward J...
– on 1 October an object was seen by North Dakota National GuardNorth Dakota National GuardThe North Dakota National Guard consists of the:*North Dakota Army National Guard*North Dakota Air National GuardIt is part of the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services.-External links:* compiled by the United States Army Center of Military History...
P-51 MustangP-51 MustangThe North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
over Fargo, North DakotaFargo, North DakotaFargo is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777...
.
1950
- Sperry UFO caseSperry UFO caseThe Sperry UFO case was a sighting of an Unidentified Flying Object by the captain, Willis Sperry, and other crew of an American Airlines DC-6 airborne near Mount Vernon, Maryland on 29 May 1950....
– on 29 May an object was seen by an American AirlinesAmerican AirlinesAmerican Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
Douglas DC-6Douglas DC-6The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range...
near Mount Vernon, MarylandMount Vernon, MarylandMount Vernon is a census-designated place in Somerset County, Maryland, United States. The population was 761 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Salisbury, Maryland Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
.
1952
- Nash-Fortenberry UFO sightingNash-Fortenberry UFO sightingThe Nash-Fortenberry UFO sighting was an unidentified flying object sighting that occurred on July 14, 1952, when two experienced commercial pilots The Nash-Fortenberry UFO sighting was an unidentified flying object sighting that occurred on July 14, 1952, when two experienced commercial pilots The...
– on 14 July, eight objects were seen by two commercial pilots over Chesapeake BayChesapeake BayThe Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
in VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. - Carson Sink UFO incident – on 24 July an object was seen by two pilots in a B-25 MitchellB-25 MitchellThe North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
over Carson SinkCarson SinkCarson Sink is a playa in the northeastern portion of the Carson Desert that was formerly the terminus of the Carson River. The sink is currently fed by drainage canals of the Truckee-Carson Irrigation District...
in NevadaNevadaNevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. - Operation MainbraceOperation MainbraceExercise Mainbrace was the first large-scale naval exercise undertaken by the newly established Allied Command Atlantic , one of the two principal military commands of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization . It was part of a series of NATO exerciseS jointly commanded by Supreme Allied Commander...
– from 14 to 25 September many UFOs were observed. On 19 September at 11am a silver disc-shaped object followed a Gloster MeteorGloster MeteorThe Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...
returning to RAF TopcliffeRAF TopcliffeRAF Topcliffe is a Royal Air Force station in North Yorkshire. It is a satellite station of RAF Linton-on-Ouse.Topcliffe opened in September 1940 as a bomber station in RAF Bomber Command and was home to 77 and 102 Squadrons flying the Whitley heavy bomber. There was a decoy site at Raskelf...
, and seen by observers on the ground. It rotated whilst hovering. It then travelled towards the west at high speed. On 21 September, six RAF planes followed a spherical object over the North SeaNorth SeaIn the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
. It followed one of the planes back to the base.
1953
- Ellsworth UFO sighting – on 5 August an unknown object over Bismarck, North DakotaBismarck, North DakotaBismarck is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the second most populous city in North Dakota after Fargo. The city's population was 61,272 at the 2010 census, while its metropolitan population was 108,779...
was seen by people on the ground and by two F-84 ThunderjetF-84 ThunderjetThe Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces proposal for a "day fighter", the F-84 flew in 1946...
pilots.
1954
- On 14 October Flt LtFlight LieutenantFlight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
James Salandin of the Royal Auxiliary Air ForceRoyal Auxiliary Air ForceThe Royal Auxiliary Air Force , originally the Auxiliary Air Force , is the voluntary active duty reserve element of the Royal Air Force, providing a primary reinforcement capability for the regular service...
, flying in a No. 604 Squadron RAFNo. 604 Squadron RAFNo. 604 Squadron RAF was a squadron of the Royal Air Force notable for its pioneering role the development of radar-controlled night-fighter operations. The squadron was established in March 1930 at RAF Hendon as a day-bombing squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. In July 1934, the squadron...
Gloster MeteorGloster MeteorThe Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...
F8 from RAF North WealdNorth Weald AirfieldNorth Weald Airfield is an operational airfield, near the village of North Weald Bassett in Epping Forest, Essex, England. It was an important fighter station during the Battle of Britain, when it was known as the RAF Station RAF North Weald. It is the home of North Weald Airfield Museum...
, narrowly missed two UFOs over Southend-on-SeaSouthend-on-SeaSouthend-on-Sea is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated...
at around 4.30pm at 16,000 ft. The objects were circular with one being coloured silver and the other gold. He narrowly avoided having a head-on collisionHead-on collisionA head-on collision is one where the front ends of two ships, trains, planes or vehicles hit each other, as opposed to a side collision or rear-end collision.-Rail transport:...
with the silver object.
1956
- Lakenheath-Bentwaters incidentLakenheath-Bentwaters incidentThe Lakenheath-Bentwaters Incident was a series of radar and visual contacts with Unidentified Flying Objects that took place over airbases in eastern England on the night of 13 - 14 August 1956, involving both RAF and USAF personnel...
– on 13 August, 12 to 15 objects were picked up by USAF radar over East AngliaEast AngliaEast Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
. One object was tracked at more than 4,000 mph by USAF GCAGround-controlled approachIn aviation a ground-controlled approach , is a type of service provided by air-traffic controllers whereby they guide aircraft to a safe landing in adverse weather conditions based on radar images...
radar at RAF BentwatersRAF BentwatersRAF Bentwaters, now known as Bentwaters Parks, is a former Royal Air Force station about 80 miles NE of London, 10 miles ENE of Ipswich, near Woodbridge, Suffolk in England...
. The objects sometimes travelled in formation, then converged to form a larger object and performed sharp turns. One object was tracked for 26 miles which then hovered for five minutes then flew off. One object at 10pm was tracked at 12,000 mph. RAF de Havilland VenomDe Havilland VenomThe de Havilland DH 112 Venom was a British postwar single-engined jet aircraft developed from the de Havilland Vampire. It served with the Royal Air Force as a single-seat fighter-bomber and two-seat night fighter....
s from RAF Waterbeach had sightings of the objects.
1957
- West Freugh incidentRAF West FreughRAF West Freugh is a Royal Air Force station located in Wigtownshire, five miles south east of Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland....
– on 4 April, a large object was seen on radar at RAF West Freugh near StranraerStranraerStranraer is a town in the southwest of Scotland. It lies in the west of Dumfries and Galloway and in the county of Wigtownshire.Stranraer lies on the shores of Loch Ryan on the northern side of the isthmus joining the Rhins of Galloway to the mainland...
at 50,000 ft which was stationary for 10 minutes over the Irish SeaIrish SeaThe Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
. It moved vertically to 70,000 ft and was also tracked by radar at ArdwellArdwellArdwell is a village in the Scottish unitary council area of Dumfries and Galloway. It lies on the shores of Luce Bay in the southern part of the Rhins of Galloway. The A716 road to Drummore or the Mull of Galloway passes through the village...
. The object did an 'impossible' sharp turn and was described as being as large as a ship, bigger than a normal aircraft. - Milton Torres 1957 UFO EncounterMilton Torres 1957 UFO EncounterThe Milton Torres 1957 UFO Encounter is a case reported by a former jet pilot in the United States Air Force, Milton John Torres, of Miami, Florida. On May 20, 1957, the 25-year-old Torres was ordered on a mission to intercept and shoot down a large UFO that had been picked up by radar in the skies...
– on 20 May, a USAF F-86D Sabre based at RAF ManstonRAF ManstonRAF Manston was an RAF station in the north-east of Kent, at on the Isle of Thanet from 1916 until 1996. The site is now split between a commercial airport Kent International Airport and a continuing military use by the Defence Fire Training and Development Centre , following on from a long...
intercepted an object over East AngliaEast AngliaEast Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
. - UFOs seen by Portugal Air ForceUFOs seen by Portugal Air ForceOn September 4, 1957, four Portugal Air Force pilots claimed to have seen and chased some UFOs .- Overview :...
– on 4 September an object was seen by four Portuguese Air ForcePortuguese Air ForceThe Portuguese Air Force is the air force of Portugal. Formed on July 1, 1952, with the Aeronáutica Militar and Aviação Naval united in a single independent Air Force, it is one of the three branches of the Portuguese Armed Forces and its origins dates back to 1912, when the military aviation...
pilots
1959
- On 24 February an American AirlinesAmerican AirlinesAmerican Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
Douglas DC-6Douglas DC-6The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range...
was followed for 45 minutes by three saucer shaped objects on its flight from NewarkNewark Liberty International AirportNewark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States...
to DetroitDetroit Metropolitan Wayne County AirportDetroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport , usually called Detroit Metro Airport, Metro Airport locally, or simply DTW, is a major international airport covering in Romulus, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. It is Michigan's busiest airport....
. It was seen by the crew and the 35 passengers, and by Captain Peter Killian.
1965
- On 18 March a Convair CV-240 from Toa AirwaysToa AirwaysToa Airways Co., Ltd. was a Japanese airline and the predecessor of Japan Air System.On May 15, 1971, the airline merged with Japan Domestic Airlines to form Toa Domestic Airlines; on April 1, 1988 the merged airline renamed itself to Japan Air System. In the 2000s Japan Air System merged into...
heading from OsakaOsaka International Airportor Osaka-Itami International Airport is the primary domestic airport for the Kansai region of Japan, including the major cities of Osaka, Kyoto, and Kobe. It is classified as a first class airport....
to HiroshimaHiroshima Airportis an airport in the city of Mihara, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. Located east of Hiroshima, it is the largest airport in the Chūgoku region.-History:...
was followed over IejimaIejimaIe jima is an island in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, lying a few kilometers off the Motobu Peninsula of Okinawa Honto, Okinawa Islands. It measures 20 km around and has a population of 5,055...
by an oblong 15 metre long green luminescent object, forcing the pilot, Yoshiharu Inaba, to make a 60 degree turn to avoid a collision. The object stopped and flew alongside the plane for about three minutes, and affected the Automatic Direction Finder.
1970
- On April 24, a Soviet bomber disappeared on its flight from Moscow to Vladivostok without a trace. On the same day several UFOs were observed in the area of the Soviet-Chinese border, which could not be shot down by the Russian military.
- William SchaffnerWilliam SchaffnerCaptain William Schaffner was a pilot in the United States Air Force. He died in an incident in 1970 over the North Sea...
on 8 September intercepted an unknown object over the North SeaNorth SeaIn the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
. His BAC LightningEnglish Electric LightningThe English Electric Lightning is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft of the Cold War era, noted for its great speed and unpainted natural metal exterior finish. It is the only all-British Mach 2 fighter aircraft. The aircraft was renowned for its capabilities as an interceptor; Royal Air Force ...
was later retrieved from the sea. - On September 21st at 20:01pm The Emergency controller at West Drayton was informed of two reports of a great ball of fire seen by pilots flying over the North Sea.
1974
- Coyame UFO incidentCoyame UFO IncidentThe Coyame UFO incident was a reported mid-air collision between a UFO and a small airplane. Some conspiracy theorists believe the UFO was retrieved by a United States rapid response team assembled by military and intelligence agencies...
– on 25 August an object collided with an aircraft near CoyameCoyameCoyame is a town in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. It serves as the municipal seat of Coyame del Sotol Municipality.In the 2010 INEGI Census, the town reported a total population of 709....
, Chihuahua in Mexico near the USA border.
1976
- On 30 July at 8pm, 42 year old Captain Dennis Wood and his crew in a British Airways Hawker Siddeley TridentHawker Siddeley TridentThe Hawker Siddeley HS 121 Trident was a British short/medium-range three-engined jet airliner designed by de Havilland and built by Hawker Siddeley in the 1960s and 1970s...
from EdinburghEdinburgh AirportEdinburgh Airport is located at Turnhouse in the City of Edinburgh, Scotland, and was the busiest airport in Scotland in 2010, handling just under 8.6 million passengers in that year. It was also the sixth busiest airport in the UK by passengers and the fifth busiest by aircraft movements...
to FaroFaro Airport-Incidents and accidents:*On 21 December 1992, Martinair Flight 495 skidded off the runway in bad weather at Faro Airport killing 54 passengers and two crew out of a total of 340 people on board....
saw objects near Lisbon, seen by all passengers on board. They looked "due west and saw an incredibly brilliant white object", which "took off vertically at very high speed and disappeared". The pilots were alerted by the radar operator at Lisbon who picked up two unknown objects. It was observed for around eight minutes. An astrophysicist, Dr David Ramsden, from the University of SouthamptonUniversity of SouthamptonThe University of Southampton is a British public university located in the city of Southampton, England, a member of the Russell Group. The origins of the university can be dated back to the founding of the Hartley Institution in 1862 by Henry Robertson Hartley. In 1902, the Institution developed...
believed it was a large research balloonResearch balloonResearch balloons are balloons that are used for scientific research. They are usually unmanned, filled with a lighter-than-air gas like helium, and fly at high altitudes....
that was released on 29 July and drifted from Italy to America. - 1976 Tehran UFO incident1976 Tehran UFO IncidentThe 1976 Tehran UFO Incident was a radar and visual sighting of an unidentified flying object over Tehran, the capital of Iran, during the early morning hours of 19 September 1976...
– on 19 September over an area 40 miles north of TehranTehranTehran , sometimes spelled Teheran, is the capital of Iran and Tehran Province. With an estimated population of 8,429,807; it is also Iran's largest urban area and city, one of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world's 19th largest city.In the 20th century, Tehran was subject to...
two F-4 Phantom IIF-4 Phantom IIThe McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a tandem two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor fighter/fighter-bomber originally developed for the United States Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It first entered service in 1960 with the U.S. Navy. Proving highly adaptable,...
s from Hamedan Air BaseHamedan Air BaseHamedan Air Base is an Iranian air force base located 47km north of Hamedan in the Hamadān Province....
(Shahrokhi) attempted to intercept an unknown object seen on ground radar. When closing in on the target, all the plane's communications systems would not work, which regained their function when the plane turned away from the unknown object. Another object emerged from the main unknown object and headed towards the intercepting planes. The pilots tried to discharge a AIM-9 SidewinderAIM-9 SidewinderThe AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range, air-to-air missile carried mostly by fighter aircraft and recently, certain gunship helicopters. The missile entered service with United States Air Force in the early 1950s, and variants and upgrades remain in active service with many air forces...
missile but when engaging their weapons system, it would momentarily not lock-on to the target or even function until the planes changed to a less hostile course.
1977
- On 7 March a Dassault Mirage IVDassault Mirage IVThe Dassault Mirage IV was a French jet-propelled supersonic strategic bomber and deep-reconnaissance aircraft. For many years it was a vital part of the nuclear triad of the Force de Frappe, France's nuclear deterrent striking force.-Development:...
piloted by Major René Giraud and navigated by Captain Jean Paul Abraham was returning to Luxeuil Air BaseLuxeuil Air BaseLuxeuil is a medium size air base located at , near Luxeuil-les-Bains in the Franche-Comté region of France. It has two runways: 113/293 with a length of 2433m, and 038/218 with a length of 2315m....
when at 8pm they encountered an unknown object over Chaumont, Haute-MarneChaumont, Haute-MarneChaumont is a commune of France, and the capital of the Haute-Marne department. , it has a of 24,039.The city stands on the Marne River and is situated on the railway linking Paris and Basel, which runs over a 52 m tall and 600 m long viaduct built in 1856.- History :Historically the...
. It was reported to the air traffic control at ContrexévilleContrexévilleContrexéville is a commune of north-eastern France, in the Vosges département. Inhabitants are called Contrexévillois.The reputation of Contrexéville as a health resort dates from 1864, when development began by a company, the Société des Eaux de Contrexéville.-Twin towns:Contrexéville is twinned...
and it briefly followed the aircraft twice, although nothing was noticed on radar.
1978
- Valentich disappearanceValentich DisappearanceThe Valentich disappearance refers to the unexplained disappearance on 21 October 1978 of 20-year-old Frederick Valentich while piloting a Cessna 182L light aircraft over Bass Strait in Australia...
– on 21 October, 20 year old Frederick Valentich was piloting a Cessna 182Cessna 182The Cessna 182 Skylane is an American four-seat, single-engine, light airplane, built by Cessna of Wichita, Kansas. It has the option of adding two child seats, installed in the baggage area....
over Bass StraitBass StraitBass Strait is a sea strait separating Tasmania from the south of the Australian mainland, specifically the state of Victoria.-Extent:The International Hydrographic Organization defines the limits of the Bass Strait as follows:...
in Australia when he was "buzzed" by an unknown object with four bright lights about 1000 ft above him and reported this to air traffic controllers at MelbourneMelbourne AirportMelbourne Airport , also known as Tullamarine Airport, is the primary airport serving the city of Melbourne and the second busiest in Australia. It was opened in 1970 to replace the nearby Essendon Airport. Melbourne Airport is the sole international airport of the four airports serving the...
with his last message being it's not an aircraft.
1979
- Manises UFO incidentManises UFO IncidentThe Manises UFO incident took place on 11 November 1979, forcing a commercial flight to make an emergency landing at theManises' airport in Valencia, Spain.-Incident Details:...
– on 11 November a TAE Sud Aviation CaravelleSud Aviation CaravelleThe Sud Aviation SE 210 Caravelle was the first short/medium-range jet airliner produced by the French Sud Aviation firm starting in 1955 . The Caravelle was one of the more successful European first generation jetliners, selling throughout Europe and even penetrating the United States market, with...
from SalzburgSalzburg AirportSalzburg Airport or W. A. Mozart Airport is the second largest airport in Austria.Salzburg Airport presents itself as a modern regional airport, which creates jobs and plays an ever increasing role as a strong investor in the economy and the tourist industry...
to Las Palmas was forced to make an emergency landing at ManisesManisesManises is a municipality in the comarca of Horta Oest in the Valencian Community, Spain. Located in the province of Valencia, it had 30,508 inhabitants in 2009 and is famous for its pottery and house in the municipality the Valencia Airport....
in Spain.
1986
- Japan Air Lines flight 1628 incidentJapan Air Lines flight 1628 incidentJapan Air Lines flight 1628 was a UFO incident that occurred on November 17, 1986 involving a Japanese cargo jumbo freighter aircraft. The aircraft was en route from Paris to Narita, Tokyo with a cargo of Beaujolais wine. On the Reykjavík to Anchorage section of the flight, at 5:11 PM over eastern...
– on 16 November on a Japan AirlinesJapan Airlinesis an airline headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. It is the flag carrier of Japan and its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport and Tokyo International Airport , as well as Nagoya's Chūbu Centrair International Airport and Osaka's Kansai International Airport...
flight in a Boeing 747Boeing 747The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
from Paris to Tokyo whilst near AlaskaAlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, an object was seen that was twice the size of an aircraft carrier. In subsequent months, two other aircraft reported unidentified objects over Alaska.
1990
- Belgian UFO waveBelgian UFO waveThe Belgian UFO wave refers to a series of sightings of triangular UFOs in Belgium, which lasted from 29 November 1989 to April 1990.The main picture of the Belgian UFO Wave is the Petit-Rechain picture. For 20 years, the ufological organisation Société Belge d'Etudes des Phénomènes Spatiaux ...
– on 31 March two Belgian Air Component F-16 Fighting FalconF-16 Fighting FalconThe General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon is a multirole jet fighter aircraft originally developed by General Dynamics for the United States Air Force . Designed as an air superiority day fighter, it evolved into a successful all-weather multirole aircraft. Over 4,400 aircraft have been built since...
s flew from Beauvechain Air BaseBeauvechain Air BaseBeauvechain Air Base is a Belgian Air Component military airfield in Belgium, located south of Beauvechain ; east-southeast of Brussels...
to intercept a UFO seen near WavreWavreWavre is a town and municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant, of which it is the capital.Wavre is located in the Dyle valley. Most of its inhabitants speak French as mother tongue and are called "Wavriens" and "Wavriennes"...
. They were unable to maintain a radar lockConstantly computed impact pointConstantly Computed Impact Point is a function with a weapon's sighting system. It provides a depiction of the calculated point of impact, that works out from the launch platform's movement, the target's movement, gravity, projectile launch velocity, projectile drag, and other factors that can be...
for their missiles because the object changed position too quickly. Such rapid changes of position would involve g-forceG-forceThe g-force associated with an object is its acceleration relative to free-fall. This acceleration experienced by an object is due to the vector sum of non-gravitational forces acting on an object free to move. The accelerations that are not produced by gravity are termed proper accelerations, and...
s fatal to human pilots. - On 4 August at 9pm a 75 ft wide diamond object was seen by an RAFRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Harrier 20 miles north of PitlochryPitlochryPitlochry , is a burgh in the council area of Perth and Kinross, Scotland, lying on the River Tummel. Its population according to the 2001 census was 2,564....
in Perth and KinrossPerth and KinrossPerth and Kinross is one of 32 council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee City, Fife, Clackmannanshire, Stirling, Argyll and Bute and Highland council areas. Perth is the administrative centre...
. It appeared to hover for 10 minutes above the A9 near Calvine.
1991
- On 21 April, pilot Achille Zaghetti from GrossetoGrossetoGrosseto is a city and comune in the central Italian region of Tuscany, the capital of the Province of Grosseto. The city lies 14 km from the Tyrrhenian Sea, in the Maremma, at the centre of an alluvial plain, on the Ombrone river....
, TuscanyTuscanyTuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
, in a AlitaliaAlitaliaAlitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. , in its later stages known as Alitalia - Linee Aeree Italiane S.p.A. in Extraordinary Administration, was the former Italian flag carrier...
McDonnell Douglas MD-80 on a flight from MilanMalpensa AirportMilano Malpensa Airport "City of Milan" , former "Aeroporto Città di Milano" is Milan's largest airport. It is located 39.97 km northwest of central Milan, Italy...
to HeathrowLondon Heathrow AirportLondon Heathrow Airport or Heathrow , in the London Borough of Hillingdon, is the busiest airport in the United Kingdom and the third busiest airport in the world in terms of total passenger traffic, handling more international passengers than any other airport around the globe...
saw a three-metre-long khaki-coloured object over LyddLyddLydd is a town in Kent, England, lying on the Romney Marsh. It is one of the larger towns on the Marsh, and the most southerly town in Kent. Actually located on Denge Marsh, Lydd was one of the first sandy islands to form as the bay evolved into what is now called the Romney Marsh...
in KentKentKent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
at 22,000 ft about 300m away. It was seen on radar.
1994
- On 28 January on Air FranceAir FranceAir France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
Flight AF3532 in an Airbus A320Airbus A320 familyThe Airbus A320 family is a family of short- to medium-range, narrow-body, commercial passenger jet airliners manufactured by Airbus Industrie.Airbus was originally a consortium of European aerospace companies, and is now fully owned by EADS. Airbus's name has been Airbus SAS since 2001...
flying from Nice to London, Jean-Charles Duboc saw an unusual object near Paris at around 1pm which looked like a huge red-brown disc at 35,000 ft of approximately 800 ft in diameter. The object was reported to air traffic control at Reims in Champagne-ArdenneChampagne-ArdenneChampagne-Ardenne is one of the 27 regions of France. It is located in the northeast of the country, bordering Belgium, and consists of four departments: Aube, Ardennes, Haute-Marne, and Marne. The region is famous for its sparkling white wine . Its rivers, most of which flow west, include the...
, and was determined to be close to Taverny Air BaseTaverny Air BaserightTaverny Air Base is located in the communities of Taverny and Bessancourt in the Val d'Oise département of France, twenty kilometers north of Paris...
, the headquarters of the French Air ForceFrench Air ForceThe French Air Force , literally Army of the Air) is the air force of the French Armed Forces. It was formed in 1909 as the Service Aéronautique, a service arm of the French Army, then was made an independent military arm in 1933...
. It was stationary in the sky for around one minute then disappeared in around 10–20 seconds.
1995
- On 6 January pilots aboard a Boeing 737Boeing 737The Boeing 737 is a short- to medium-range, twin-engine narrow-body jet airliner. Originally developed as a shorter, lower-cost twin-engine airliner derived from Boeing's 707 and 727, the 737 has developed into a family of nine passenger models with a capacity of 85 to 215 passengers...
on British AirwaysBritish AirwaysBritish Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...
Flight BA5061 from Milan saw an object on their descent to Manchester at 4,000 ft when over the southern PenninesPenninesThe Pennines are a low-rising mountain range, separating the North West of England from Yorkshire and the North East.Often described as the "backbone of England", they form a more-or-less continuous range stretching from the Peak District in Derbyshire, around the northern and eastern edges of...
.
1996
- Westendorff UFO sightingWestendorff UFO sightingWestendorff UFO sighting refers to a sight of an UFO by Haroldo Westendorff, a Brazilian manager of an improvement of rice company, a transporter company and a ration factory. The sighting occurred when he was piloting his own Tupi airplane....
– on 5 October a large object was seen over Lagoa dos PatosLagoa dos PatosLagoa dos Patos is the second largest lagoon in Latin America and the biggest in Brazil. It is located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. It is 174 miles long, has a maximum width of 44 miles , and a total area of 3,803 sq. mi....
in Brazil.
2007
- 2007 Alderney UFO sighting2007 Alderney UFO sightingOn April 23, 2007, captain Ray BowyerRay Bowyer was a flight calibration pilot before qualifying as airline pilot, accumulating 7,000 flight hours by 2010. He flew for eight airlines before serving as line captain for Aurigny Air Services. See Kean, 2010, p...
– two huge craft observed near Alderney and Guernsey respectively