Pilots flying over Ohio alerted air traffic control after seeing an unusual object near their aircraft, but controllers told them nothing matching the sighting appeared on radar.
The report, submitted to the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) on October 26, described a silver, pill-shaped object that seemed almost motionless as the plane drew closer.
One of the pilots photographed the object during the encounter on August 16 and later discussed what he saw with NUFORC investigator Ben Hansen.
The investigator’s report, which identified the pilot only as “J,” described the object’s exterior as “silver and highly reflective, like pure polished metal.”
“J described the UAP as uniform, pill-shaped. There were no warps or creases on the surface, nor was it tapered at the bottom,” Hansen wrote.
The aircraft’s collision-warning system and flight-tracking app showed no nearby traffic. Cleveland Center air traffic controllers likewise told the crew that neither aircraft nor unidentified objects were visible on radar, according to the report.
J suspected the object could have emerged from thunderstorm clouds the pilots were trying to navigate around.
He questioned whether a balloon could have remained intact in such conditions, noting that the aircraft encountered engine icing and moderate turbulence after entering the clouds.
A pilot photographed the object and described it as a silver, pill-shaped UFO that appeared almost stationary as the aircraft approached
NUFORC said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) found no object on radar and identified no records matching planned balloon launches.
“Coupled with the witness’s estimate that the object was at least 30 feet in height and uniformly shaped without tapering at the top or bottom, it presents some challenges to the balloon theory,” Hansen said in the report.
At approximately 8pm ET, the pilots were flying at 41,000 feet as they approached a large thunderstorm whose cloud tops reached as high as 55,000 feet.
They determined that the safest option was to pass through an opening between the storm clouds.
As they approached the gap, J noticed the unusual object ahead and slightly above the aircraft.
He first estimated that it was roughly five miles away, though he later revised the distance to between two and three miles.
The pilots estimated that the object was traveling in the opposite direction at an altitude of about 43,000 feet before passing to their left.
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J initially considered the possibility that it was a weather balloon. However, the object’s consistent shape and lack of a narrower lower section caused him to doubt that explanation.
The aircraft’s collision-warning system and flight-tracking app showed no other traffic, while Cleveland Center controllers reportedly said no aircraft or unidentified objects appeared on radar
NUFORC released a CGI recreation of the object based on the witness’s description
Its exterior appeared to be made of highly polished metal. J believed the object’s brightness came from sunlight reflecting off its surface rather than from the object generating light itself.
The encounter lasted about two minutes. Flight information he later supplied showed that their plane was traveling at roughly 380mph.
J took one photograph with his iPhone after the object had passed them. By then, he estimated it was about seven miles behind the aircraft. He stressed that his description came from seeing it much closer earlier in the encounter.
The pilot said the way they approached and passed the object reminded him of encounters with oncoming aircraft, reinforcing his impression that it was moving rather than floating in place.
About a minute after first spotting it, he contacted Cleveland Center air traffic controllers to ask whether any aircraft or weather balloons were nearby.
Nothing appeared on the plane’s collision-warning system or the pilot’s flight-tracking app. According to J’s account, controllers also told the crew that nothing was showing on radar in the area where they saw the object.
The pilots continued watching it until it disappeared into the distance behind them.
NUFORC said the encounter raises wider questions about how authorities handle reports of unidentified objects near civilian aircraft.
The organization said there was no indication the FAA had referred this sighting to other agencies for a parallel investigation, arguing that potential aviation hazards deserve closer scrutiny.
It also highlighted an exchange in the audio recording in which an air traffic controller joked about the pilots submitting a NUFORC report, saying: ‘Make sure you include what color the alien was.’
NUFORC argued that such reactions reinforce the stigma surrounding UFO sightings and can discourage pilots from reporting encounters.
Even if an object ultimately proves to be a balloon, the organization said its presence in controlled airspace can raise safety concerns.
Aircraft traveling at hundreds of miles per hour could suffer serious damage in a collision, while unidentified surveillance balloons could pose a national security threat.
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