United Airlines employees report a disc over Chicago O'Hare
November 7, 2006 · Chicago O'Hare International Airport · Sighting · Secondary sources only
On an overcast 7 November 2006, more than a dozen workers at O'Hare, including pilots, mechanics and ramp staff, reported a silent, saucer-shaped grey disc about 1,400 feet above Gate C17 that shot up through the clouds and left a hole. After a Chicago Tribune request, air-traffic tapes showed employees discussing 'a disc out there flying around.'
Why it matters (2/5)
A commercial-aviation sighting that became a test case for FAA handling of reports.
Caveats
United and the FAA said they had no reports that day and neither investigated. The FAA suggested a 'hole punch' cloud, formed when an aircraft passes through supercooled droplets.
Sources
- Was a UFO once spotted at O'Hare Airport? (WTTW Chicago), context