Type: Corporate Investigation
Source: United Airlines
Internal documentation and employee reports regarding observations of an unidentified object near Gate C17.
On November 7, 2006, approximately 12 United Airlines employees and other witnesses observed a metallic, saucer-shaped object hovering silently above Gate C17 at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. The object, described as 6 to 24 feet in diameter and dark gray, remained stationary for several minutes before accelerating vertically and punching a circular hole through the cloud cover.
Key details of the incident include:
Witnesses: The sighting involved pilots, mechanics, ramp workers, and supervisors associated with United Airlines Flight 446, which was preparing for departure.
FAA Response: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) initially denied the existence of witness reports and attributed the phenomenon to a "weather phenomenon" or "hole-punch cloud." However, FOIA requests later revealed radio transcripts where controllers discussed the "UFO" and confirmed that no radar contact was made.
Investigation: Despite the FAA's refusal to investigate, NARCAP and a team of NASA scientists conducted their own analysis. Their 154-page report concluded that the object was physical and its maneuvers could not be explained by conventional means.
Aftermath: The story was first published by Chicago Tribune reporter Jon Hilkevitch, becoming one of the most-viewed articles in the newspaper's history at the time. United Airlines publicly denied having any records of the incident, though internal interviews with witnesses were reportedly conducted.