Airline Aircraft’s UFO Collision and Near Collision

On October 28, 2017, a chartered Delta Air Lines Boeing 757-200 carrying the Oklahoma City Thunder basketball team from Minneapolis to Chicago experienced a significant in-flight incident. During descent into Chicago’s Midway Airport, the aircraft’s nose cone sustained substantial damage, resulting in a large dent. Delta Air Lines attributed the damage to a possible bird strike, though the exact cause was not definitively confirmed.

Despite the alarming appearance of the damage, the flight landed safely without any injuries to passengers or crew. The damaged nose cone was promptly replaced, and the aircraft was inspected and cleared for subsequent flights. The incident garnered significant media attention, partly due to social media posts from team members highlighting the unusual damage.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Delta Air Lines conducted investigations to ensure the aircraft’s integrity and to understand the circumstances leading to the incident.

Chicago’s airports have a notable history of UFO encounters, with the 2006 O’Hare Airport incident standing out as particularly significant. On November 7, 2006, multiple witnesses, including airport employees and passengers, reported observing a disc-shaped, metallic object hovering above O’Hare International Airport. The object remained stationary for several minutes before abruptly ascending and disappearing. Despite numerous credible accounts, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) attributed the sighting to a weather phenomenon and declined to investigate further.

Chicago is served by two major airports: O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Midway International Airport (MDW). O’Hare and Midway are situated about 13.4 miles (21.6 kilometers) apart, providing convenient options for travelers in the region. O’Hare boasts eight runways, varying in length from 7,500 to 13,000 feet, allowing it to accommodate a large volume of traffic and a wide variety of aircraft. Midway, by contrast, operates five runways with lengths between 3,859 and 6,522 feet, tailored more to mid-sized and smaller aircraft.

In terms of passenger traffic, O’Hare ranks as one of the busiest airports in the world. In 2023 alone, it handled approximately 73.9 million passengers and saw 720,582 aircraft movements. Midway, while also busy, serves a more modest volume; in 2020, it handled around 8.8 million passengers, placing it as the 26th-busiest airport in the United States.

In another incident, on November 14, 2016, a Porter Airlines flight en route from Ottawa to Toronto’s Billy Bishop Airport encountered an unidentified flying object over Lake Ontario near Pickering, Ontario. The object was described by the flight crew as “solid… and shaped like an upright doughnut or inner tube,” approximately 5 to 8 feet in diameter. To avoid a potential collision, the captain disengaged the autopilot and executed a rapid descent. This maneuver resulted in minor injuries to two flight attendants who were preparing the cabin for arrival; fortunately, none of the 54 passengers were harmed.

The aircraft, a de Havilland DHC-8-402 with flight number POE204, was on its approach to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport when the flight crew spotted an object directly in their flight path at around 8,300 feet, about 29 nautical miles east of the airport. Described as solid and measuring approximately five to eight feet in diameter, the object had an unusual shape, resembling an upright doughnut or inner tube. With no apparent movement from the object, the captain quickly took manual control, overriding the autopilot to dive beneath it, allowing the object to pass slightly to the right and above the aircraft. During this sudden maneuver, both cabin crew members, who were preparing the cabin for landing, sustained minor injuries as they were thrown against the cabin structure.

The air traffic control audio captured shortly after the event reveals the crew’s immediate reaction and uncertainty regarding the object’s nature, with one crew member noting, “We just flew by something—not sure what it was; didn’t quite look like a balloon but we almost hit it.” The ATC subsequently relayed this information to other aircraft in the area, advising them to be vigilant. A Canadian Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS) report, cataloged as 2016O2991, documented the encounter, noting that despite the unexpected maneuver, the Porter Airlines flight continued without further incident, landing safely at its destination. The incident, however, remained under wraps until a request under the Access to Information Act in 2021 led to the release of the air traffic control audio in late 2023, following an initial denial and subsequent appeal.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) later considered the possibility of a drone. Despite this, the object’s altitude—approximately 9,000 feet—and its location, about 30 nautical miles from Toronto over Lake Ontario, exceeded the operational capabilities of most commercial or consumer drones. Consequently, the TSB was unable to positively identify the object, and the incident remains unexplained.

This event is part of a broader pattern of unidentified aerial phenomena reported by commercial airline pilots over Canada. For instance, on May 30, 2016, an Air Canada Express flight from Montreal to Toronto reported encountering a round object flying at an approximate speed of 300 knots. Similarly, on March 16, 2017, two WestJet flights near British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley reported seeing a bright, white strobe-type light above them. These reports, documented in the Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Report System (CADORS) maintained by Transport Canada, underscore the frequency of such unexplained sightings in Canadian airspace.

The phenomenon of spherical UFOs orbiting aircraft, as reported in various sightings, describes objects that demonstrate remarkable agility and speed. These spheres, often described as metallic or luminous, have been observed moving in circular or elliptical patterns around planes and other objects. Reports indicate these spheres are capable of hovering, zigzagging, and accelerating at rates far beyond conventional aircraft. Theories regarding their origin and purpose range from advanced technology or electromagnetic effects on nearby aircraft to potential interdimensional capabilities. Historical references to such “fiery orbs” suggest these phenomena may date back centuries, continuing to intrigue researchers and pilots alike.

The connection between UFOs and contrails or chemtrails centers on observed instances where UFOs seem to inspect or interact with these trails left by aircraft. While contrails are understood as condensation trails from jet exhaust, chemtrails involve theories suggesting aircraft might disperse chemicals for climate manipulation, population control, or even environmental modification. UFOs reportedly appear to observe these trails, possibly due to an interest in environmental changes caused by human aviation. This behavior fuels speculation on whether these unidentified objects are simply observing or are involved in monitoring human activities or environmental impacts, sparking ongoing curiosity and debate.

Numerous incidents over the years have highlighted encounters between airliners and UFOs, raising concerns about flight safety and the mysterious nature of these phenomena. For example, in 1986, Japan Airlines Flight 1628 experienced a close encounter with massive, unknown objects over Alaska, while the 1954 BOAC Stratocruiser sighting involved glowing orbs that appeared to pace the aircraft over the North Atlantic. Another notable case was the 2007 Alderney UFO sighting, where bright objects were witnessed by multiple crew and passengers.

The concept of our “Airspace under the Guardianship of a Non-Human Entity” suggests that our skies might be monitored or overseen by various types of UFOs, particularly spherical objects often described as “Foo Fighters.” These unidentified aerial phenomena are believed to operate within a structured network, with different sizes and roles. The theory links these UFOs to historical sightings, crop circles, hinting at a potential non-human influence over our airspace.

Such encounters have often involved unusual, unpredictable maneuvers that posed potential risks. Some reports even describe UFOs “tagging” or orbiting planes, creating safety challenges and driving ongoing government and aviation sector investigations into the potential threats these unidentified objects may present to air traffic.