The UFO Resource Center continues coverage of the battle between UFOs and the airline industry. These stories were released before the BBC blackout concerning triangular UFOs
A UFO that narrowly avoided colliding with a passenger jet flying from London's Heathrow Airport has baffled aviation experts. The metallic grey-coloured object was spotted by the pilots of an Oslo-bound McDonnell Douglas MD81 plane on 12 June 1998, and passed just 20-50 metres from them.
The pilot later filed a near-miss report, known as an airprox, in which he said the object looked similar to a fighter. But a report by the Civil Aviation Authority found no explanation for the incident, which has also confounded local military experts and local police. "Air traffic controllers were certain that even a very small aircraft would have been detected, particularly on Heathrow radar," said the report. Although the evidence of the unnamed airline's crew is considered to be reliable, the report notes that they only caught a brief glimpse of the object. Fewer near-misses
The incident was included in a Civil Aviation Authority report, which found that dangerous aircraft near-misses fell to an all-time low last year. It is the first report to include airprox incidents filed by both pilots and air traffic controllers. The number of near-misses involving public transport flights per 100,000 flying hours in 1998 was 1.20, compared with 2.37 in 1997 and 2.87 in 1996. Three-quarters of those misses were judged as having no actual risk of collision. "The figures speak for themselves and show that more flying does not automatically mean more risk as a consequence," said Gordon McRobbie, director of the UK Airprox Board.
UFORCE thanks CAUS and Joseph Trainor (Masinaigan@aol.com) for these reports. (Ref. #2)
More UFO sightings were reported in the western United Kingdom last week, both in Wales and Lancashire (Lancs.)
On Tuesday, October 12, 1999, at about 1:50 p.m., a woman motorist was driving on the road from Newcastle Emlyn to Lampeter, Ceriedigion, Wales, about 66 miles (110 kilometers) northwest of Cardiff, when she heard the thunder of jet engines.
"She was in her car driving when she saw two RAF jets flying across the road. Nothing strange in that. Round here the RAF test-fly their jets around the (Cambrian) mountains all the time. But just after them came a saucer-shaped object (which she saw at a distance), but it was going in the same direction as the jets."
Thoroughly startled, the driver pulled over to the side of the road.
_______________________________________
(Many thanks to Marc Bell and CAUS for this report.)
On Monday, November 1, 1999, two women sighted a UFO in Garstang, Lancs. They described it as "one rather large and illuminous light which split into three smaller objects. They remained in the area for approximately six minutes at 9:30 p.m. They came together and whizzed off."
(Many thanks to Edmund B. and CAUS for this report.)
"My neighbour told me that evening that he had seen a similar object. He mentioned them to me before I said anything about my sighting."
Llynderwen is about 100 miles (160 kilometers) west of Cardiff. (Email Interview)
____________________
References:
Reference #1:
UFO baffles aviation experts
Wednesday, September 15, 1999 Published at 18:29 GMT 19:29 UK;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice
Reference #2:
Citizens Against UFO Secrecy (CAUS@caus.org)
Joseph Trainer (Masinaigan@aol.com)
UFO ROUNDUP; Volume 4; Number 29; November 11, 1999;
UFORCE thanks Edward B and Mr. Mark Bell for their contribution!