A leaked air traffic control recording has revealed a U.S. Air Force pilot reporting a close encounter with an unidentified flying object (UFO) while on a classified mission over California. The incident took place on September 17, 2024, when the pilot, flying a Beechcraft 350 C, spotted a “football-sized” cylindrical object passing just ten feet under his wing.
In the leaked audio, the pilot, identified as “Troy 21,” is heard saying, “This is going to sound weird, but I just had something pass underneath my wing. Maybe a football-sized object right under my wing.” When asked if he thought it was a drone, he responded, “Uh, I have no idea. I’ve got my sensor operator looking for it on the camera right now.”
? 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 aircraft, which was operating on a Department of Homeland Security mission, was equipped with advanced radar technology designed to track drug traffickers. Despite this, the object was not detected before the near-collision. Within minutes, the pilot estimated the object had traveled about 60 miles away.
UFO researcher and former FBI agent Ben Hansen noted that the speed and altitude of the object made it unlikely to be a hobby drone, adding, “If the radar was able to track it at Mach 2, that would absolutely eliminate the drone theory.” The incident has fueled ongoing discussions about unidentified aerial phenomena, particularly in controlled airspace.
