Continental Flight 2822: Pilot reports missile-like UFO at 13,000 feet
Commercial airline pilot observed an unidentified cylindrical object resembling a missile passing approximately 200 feet beneath his aircraft at cruising altitude. The encounter occurred without corresponding radar contact, prompting safety concerns. Documentation obtained through FOIA includes tower communications and facility logs describing the incident.
Background
On May 29, 2009, the crew of Continental Airlines Flight 2822, traveling from Houston to Greenville-Spartanburg, encountered an unusual aerial phenomenon during approach. The pilot reported observing an object resembling a missile passing approximately 100 to 200 feet below the aircraft while flying at 13,000 feet. Despite visual confirmation by the flight crew, air traffic control systems failed to register any primary radar target in the vicinity.
Following the incident, investigative efforts through the Freedom of Information Act yielded significant documentation from the Federal Aviation Administration. Released files contain facility operation records describing an object passing below the aircraft without radar detection. Additionally, audio recordings of air traffic communications reveal controllers discussing the pilot's report, with one confirming the witness described the object as missile-like traveling in the opposite direction rapidly.
The close proximity of this unidentified object posed a substantial safety risk to the twenty-six passengers and crew aboard the commercial flight. No surface-to-air missile launch sites were discovered during subsequent investigations of the area. The case remains unresolved, highlighting potential aviation hazards associated with unidentified aerial phenomena and the lack of formal tracking mechanisms for such encounters. Via TheBlackVault.com (FOIA).