April 21, 1991🇬🇧Military Encounter
Radar EvidenceMilitary BaseClose Encounter

Heathrow Airport: Alitalia MD-80 Near-Miss with Unknown Object

Captain Achille Zaghetti and his copilot encountered a round object approximately 10 feet long while approaching Heathrow Airport with 57 passengers aboard. Radar confirmed the target, but British authorities could not identify the object despite extensive investigation.

[Dolan Vol.2 enrichment]: Dolan Vol.2 detail: On April 21, 1991, an Italian airliner on final approach to Heathrow sees a grey object cross its path less than 100 feet away off the coast of Romney, Kent. The pilot describes it as either round or missile-like. The event is confirmed by radar. Nick Pope, who soon after takes the job of investigating UFO reports for the British Ministry of Defence, learns the army denied firing any missiles, nor could missiles have been fired to that height. The British CAA concludes 'extensive enquiries have failed to provide any indication of what the sighting may have been.' Nick Redfern notes the UFO's description is consistent with a pilotless drone used for defense practice. 'Either the Ministry of Defence admitted that a UFO nearly caused a midair disaster, or it was using UFOs as a smokescreen to hide its mistakes.' The case is never solved.

Date
April 21, 1991
Location
Heathrow Airport, London🇺🇸
Type
Military Encounter
Country
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
Map

Background

Incident Details Captain Achille Zaghetti and his copilot were piloting a McDonnell Douglas MD-80 Alitalia airliner carrying 57 passengers on April 21, 1991 at approximately 8:00 p.m. The aircraft was positioned over the English Channel near Romney, Kent, preparing for descent into Heathrow Airport, London.

The Encounter The crew observed a round or missile-shaped object measuring roughly 10 feet in length approaching from the left side of the aircraft at a distance of less than 100 feet. The control tower confirmed detection of a radar target positioned behind the aircraft.

Investigation and Conclusions The British Army denied responsibility for any missile launches. The British Civil Aviation Authority conducted extensive inquiries but concluded they could not determine the object's identity. Some analysts, including Nick Redfern, suggested the description was consistent with a pilotless drone used for defense exercises.

Connections

References

🔗Unidentified flying object - Wikipedia🔗Britain releases UFO files, dispels some mysteries | ABC13 Houston | abc13.com - ABC13 Houston🔗Passenger jet's near-miss with UFO above Kent | The Independent | The Independent🔗UFOs, alien abductions and Tina Turner feature in Close Encounters secret files — History News Network🔗UK defence ministry releases UFO files - Newspaper - DAWN.COM