British Airways crew reports near miss with UFO during New York flight

A mystery object spotted by the crew of a British Airways flight to New York has been classified as a serious air safety incident after passing within an estimated 50ft of the aircraft shortly after take-off from Heathrow.

The aircraft was climbing through 5,800 feet near Guildford, Surrey, when the crew spotted what appeared to be a silver, metallic object travelling in the opposite direction. They described it as reflective and about the “size of four toasters”. The pilots thought it might be a drone. 

The UK Airprox Board investigated the report in September and gave it a Category A rating, meaning there had been a serious risk of collision. The case record describes the object as being “too close for comfort.”

British Airways addresses the UFO sighting

The crew reported the sighting to air traffic control at around 12:08 UTC. The incident did not require evasive action, and the flight continued to New York, where it landed on schedule.

A British Airways spokesperson told The Independent: “We take matters such as these extremely seriously, and our pilots report these incidents so authorities can investigate them and take appropriate action.”

The Airprox Board considered the report at its September meeting, recording it as case 2026127. Investigators could not find matching radar contact for the object, and were unable to identify it.

More unidentified objects reported near UK airports

The Airprox Board’s September 2026 records contain other reports of unidentified flying objects spotted near passenger aircraft.

On 21 June, an Airbus A320 crew departing Heathrow saw a large object they believed could be a drone, although investigators could not confirm.

There were also sightings reported by Boeing 787 crews flying near Rochdale and Birmingham.

A UFO is simply an object in the sky that has not been identified. It does not imply that the flying object is of extraterrestrial origin. Some past sightings have been explained as aircraft, balloons, satellites or natural phenomena. 

The UK National Archives holds records of UFO sightings reported to the Ministry of Defence, including many accounts from airline pilots.

British Airways pilots have reported UFO sightings before

In January 1995, pilots aboard a BA Boeing 737 flying from Milan to Manchester reported seeing a wedge-shaped object with lights pass near their aircraft.

The 737 was descending through 4,000 feet when the object appeared on its right-hand side. The first officer reportedly ducked as it went past.

The Civil Aviation Authority’s Joint Airmiss Working Group investigated the sighting but could not explain it. Ministry of Defence records released later showed that military aircraft had been ruled out. The MOD found no evidence of a threat to UK air defences.

Another BA crew reported an unusual sighting over Ireland on 9 November 2018. The pilots were flying a Boeing 787 from Montreal to Heathrow on flight BA94 when they spotted a bright object moving rapidly near their aircraft.

They contacted Shannon air traffic control to ask whether there were military exercises in the area. Other pilots, including a Virgin Atlantic crew, also reported seeing unusual lights.

The Irish Aviation Authority investigated without reaching a definitive conclusion, though meteors entering the atmosphere were one possible explanation.

For the British Airways crew departing Heathrow, as with similar previous UFO sightings, the object the pilots saw remains a mystery.