Near Ely, NV: UPS and FedEx crews report circling UAP at high altitude
On November 11, 2022, two cargo aircraft reported unidentified aerial phenomena displaying 2-3 white lights circling at approximately FL740. The UPS Boeing 757 and FedEx Boeing 767 were flying at FL360-370 about 74 nautical miles west of Ely, Nevada when crews observed the objects above their altitude.
Background
The incident occurred at approximately 06:40 EST (11:40 UTC) on November 11, 2022. UPS Flight 834, a Boeing 757-200 traveling from Ontario to Boise, reported the phenomenon while northbound at FL360. The crew described 2-3 white lights circling at approximately FL740, well above their cruising altitude. Shortly thereafter, FedEx Flight 1879, a Boeing 767-300 flying eastbound from Oakland to Salt Lake City at FL370, confirmed the same observation.
The sighting location was approximately 74 nautical miles west of the Yelland Field VOR/DME near Ely, Nevada. Air traffic control audio recordings obtained via FOIA request by The Black Vault confirm the exchange between the pilots and Salt Lake ARTCC controllers. The recordings include radar data overlays showing the aircraft positions during the incident.
While the sighting remains officially unidentified in FAA records, skeptic Mick West proposed an explanation involving Starlink satellite flares, suggesting the lights were reflections from Starlink satellites positioned approximately 40 degrees above the sun at the time of the observation.