From: | psjrl@cc.newcastle.edu.au (J.R. Lee Chin) |
Title: | INQUIRY FAILS TO EXPLAIN JET'S UFO NEAR MISS |
Source: | WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN |
Date: | Feburary 04, 1996 |
A BRITISH Airways passenger jet had a close encounter
with an unidentified flying object while landing at Manchester
airport, an official report disclosed yesterday.
The Boeing 737 with 60 people on board was overtaken at
high speed by a wedge-shaped craft as the aircraft descended
through 1220m on the final stages of a journey from Milan.
Captain Roger Wills reported that the UFO. which was
emblazoned with small white lights and possibly a black stripe
down its side, flashed silently down the side of the jet so
close that his co-pilot, First Officer Mark Stuart,
involuntarily ducked as it went by.
There was no sound and no wake but both pilots were so
concerned that they filed a formal "air-miss" report.
The Civil Aviation Authority launched all investigation
into the fourth such incident since 1987. After a year-long
inquiry, it concluded yesterday that they could find no likely
explanation. The three previous reported sightings also
baffled the CAA experts.
The incident happened at 6.48pm on January 6 last year
with the aircraft just above the clouds and visibility of at
least 16km. Then air traffic controllers had the following
conversation with Flight 5061:
B737: "We just had something go down the right-hand side,
just above us very fast."
Manchester: "Well there's nothing seen on radar. Was it
an aircraft?"
B737: "Well, it had lights. It went down the starboard
side very quick*"
Captain Wills and First Officer Stuart were certain the
object was solid and not a balloon, a model aircraft or even a
military Stealth aircraft, which the captain would have
recognised.
Both pilots should be commended for their courage in
submitting a report, investigators said.