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A US Air Force pilot had an unusual encounter with an unidentified flying object (UFO) while flying over California in September 2023. According to a leaked audio recording obtained by NewsNation’s Banfield, the pilot, flying a Beechcraft 350, reported seeing a strange object pass underneath his aircraft on September 17.
The pilot, identified as “Troy 21,” was in communication with the Los Angeles Air Traffic Control (ATC) when he described witnessing a dark, cylindrical object flying dangerously close to his jet.
Pilot’s Shocking Description of the UFO
During the conversation with ATC, the pilot expressed his astonishment at the incident.
“This is going to sound weird. But I just had something pass underneath my wing. Maybe a football-sized object right under my wing.”
This is absolutely incredible.. A football sized UAP passes right underneath a passenger planes wing. It was caught by pilots, video, and sensors. @NewsNation #ufotwitter #ufoX #uaptwitter #UAP pic.twitter.com/bdVfAOlQmd
— UAP Reporting Center (@UAPReportingCnt) February 20, 2025
The encounter occurred around 2:30 p.m. The pilot attempted to track the object visually but was unsuccessful. He then asked his sensor operator to scan the area using the aircraft’s advanced camera system.
“I’ve got my sensor operator looking for it on the camera right now, we’ll see if we can find it,” Troy 21 added.
High-Speed Object Detected on Radar
Just 40 seconds after the initial sighting, the aircraft’s radar picked up an object approximately 60 miles away. The Beechcraft 350 was reportedly equipped with sophisticated radar technology used for tracking drug traffickers. However, it remains unclear whether the detected object was the same as the one the pilot had seen.
If the object on the radar was indeed the same one spotted by the pilot, it would have had to travel at speeds exceeding Mach 2 within two minutes—an astonishing feat beyond the capability of most drones or conventional aircraft.
Official Reports and Reactions
The Air Traffic Control reported the sighting to the National UFO Reporting Center. A statement from the ATC suggested that the matter had been handled:
“There was some UFO reported here, but that’s all taken care of now, so you don’t have to worry about it.”
The claim that the object surpassed Mach 2 speeds has fueled speculation, with experts questioning whether it was an advanced drone, an unknown military aircraft, or something entirely different.
Another UFO Sighting Grounds Flights in Turkey
In a separate incident, Turkey’s Gaziantep Airport temporarily halted all flights on Tuesday night after a pilot reported seeing an unidentified object at an altitude of 10,000 feet. According to Turkish news outlet Hurriyet.com.tr, pilots immediately informed the control tower about the sighting.
Interestingly, the object was not detected on the airport’s radar systems. Authorities later suggested that it was likely an unauthorized drone. As a precaution, flight operations were suspended for an hour before resuming normal schedules.
Increasing UFO Reports Raise Questions
These two incidents add to the growing list of UFO sightings by pilots and aviation authorities worldwide. While some cases are later explained as drones or weather phenomena, others, like the California sighting, continue to raise questions due to the unusual speed and behavior of the objects involved.
With increasing reports of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), calls for more transparency and investigation into such sightings are gaining momentum. As of now, there has been no official statement from the US military or Department of Homeland Security regarding the September 17 incident.
