Within Pilot Reports
Which Aircraft Reported the New Orleans Disc?
The New Orleans report is notable for a pilot witness, but conflicting aircraft details and missing corroboration weaken the case.
On this page
- The silver object reported near the arrival path
- Why the Jetstream and PC 12 records conflict
- What the report proves and what remains unresolved
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Introduction
Among Louisiana’s pilot-reported unidentified-object cases, the September 2017 New Orleans disc sighting stands out because the witness was an experienced aviator on approach to a major airport. Yet it is also one of the state’s weaker aviation mysteries. The report describes a silver, disc-shaped object seen near an aircraft at roughly 1,500 feet, but later examination revealed uncertainty over a basic question: which aircraft actually made the report. Competing references to a Jetstream turboprop and a Pilatus PC-12 appear in different records and retellings, creating a chain-of-custody problem for the evidence itself. Rather than strengthening the case, the conflicting aircraft identification makes it harder to reconstruct exactly what happened and to test possible explanations.[TWZ]twz.comThe Strangest Encounters With Unidentified Aircraft We've…20 Jul 2021 — We found over 50 highly unusual incidents with our new FAA…
Within Louisiana UFO history, the incident is therefore notable less for what it proves than for what it demonstrates about aviation reports. A sincere pilot observation can enter official databases, attract attention because of its unusual description, and still remain difficult to evaluate when key documentation is incomplete or inconsistent.[TWZ]twz.comThe Strangest Encounters With Unidentified Aircraft We've…20 Jul 2021 — We found over 50 highly unusual incidents with our new FAA…
The Silver Object Reported Near the Arrival Path
The sighting entered public discussion through Federal Aviation Administration incident records later examined by researchers and journalists studying reports of unidentified aircraft and suspected drones. According to the available summaries, a pilot approaching New Orleans reported a silver object described as disc-shaped near the aircraft’s flight path at an altitude of around 1,500 feet. The object was reportedly seen only briefly, with no photograph, radar track or independent sensor evidence released publicly.[TWZ]twz.comThe Strangest Encounters With Unidentified Aircraft We've…20 Jul 2021 — We found over 50 highly unusual incidents with our new FAA…
What made the report unusual was the shape description. Many aviation sightings involve lights, distant objects or possible drones. A metallic “disc” is a rarer description in FAA records. The War Zone’s review of thousands of FAA reports highlighted the New Orleans incident as one of a small number involving objects described with terms such as “disc” or “cylinder”, rather than conventional drone shapes.[TWZ]twz.comThe Strangest Encounters With Unidentified Aircraft We've…20 Jul 2021 — We found over 50 highly unusual incidents with our new FAA…
At the same time, the available information is limited. Publicly released summaries do not establish the object’s size, speed or precise distance from the aircraft. Those details matter because a small nearby object can appear similar to a larger object farther away, especially during approach and descent when pilots are managing multiple visual references and changing angles of view. Without range information, the observation remains a description rather than a measurement.[TWZ]twz.comThe Strangest Encounters With Unidentified Aircraft We've…20 Jul 2021 — We found over 50 highly unusual incidents with our new FAA…
Why the Jetstream and PC-12 Records Conflict
The central problem with the New Orleans case is not the description of the object but the uncertainty surrounding the reporting aircraft.
As the incident circulated through UFO and aviation discussions, different versions identified the witness aircraft differently. Some references associated the sighting with a Jetstream turboprop, while others pointed to a Pilatus PC-12. Both are legitimate aircraft types, but they differ significantly in configuration, operating profile and operator base. If investigators cannot confidently determine which aircraft was involved, reconstructing the encounter becomes much more difficult.[TWZ]twz.comThe Strangest Encounters With Unidentified Aircraft We've…20 Jul 2021 — We found over 50 highly unusual incidents with our new FAA…
This matters for several reasons:
- Flight-path reconstruction becomes uncertain. Different aircraft records would imply different routes, speeds and positions.
- Crew verification becomes difficult. Identifying the correct crew is essential if follow-up interviews are ever conducted.
- Radar and traffic analysis become less reliable. Investigators attempting to match the report to air-traffic data need the correct aircraft identity.
- Alternative explanations become harder to test. Potential explanations such as another aircraft, a drone, a balloon or a visual illusion depend on the exact geometry of the encounter.
The conflict appears to stem from later reporting and database interpretation rather than from any evidence that two separate aircraft independently observed the same object. Publicly available material does not resolve the discrepancy. As a result, researchers are left with a sighting report whose most basic identifying details remain unsettled.[TWZ]twz.comThe Strangest Encounters With Unidentified Aircraft We've…20 Jul 2021 — We found over 50 highly unusual incidents with our new FAA…
What the Report Proves and What Remains Unresolved
The strongest conclusion supported by the evidence is modest: a pilot reported seeing something unusual near New Orleans and considered it sufficiently noteworthy to enter the aviation reporting system. That fact alone gives the case more credibility than anonymous internet stories or rumours lacking documentation. FAA reporting mechanisms exist precisely because unexpected aerial objects can present safety concerns.[TWZ]twz.comThe Strangest Encounters With Unidentified Aircraft We've…20 Jul 2021 — We found over 50 highly unusual incidents with our new FAA…
However, several important questions remain unanswered:
- Was the object actually disc-shaped, or did it merely appear that way from the pilot’s viewing angle?
- How far away was it?
- Was it stationary, moving independently or only appearing to move because of relative motion between observer and object?
- Was it a drone, balloon, another aircraft, or something more mundane?
- Which aircraft and crew made the original observation?
None of these questions can be answered confidently from the public record. No known radar confirmation, photograph, cockpit recording or corroborating witness account has emerged to settle the matter.[TWZ]twz.comThe Strangest Encounters With Unidentified Aircraft We've…20 Jul 2021 — We found over 50 highly unusual incidents with our new FAA…
This absence of corroboration distinguishes the New Orleans case from stronger aviation incidents in which multiple witnesses, sensor data or detailed transcripts allow investigators to test competing explanations. Here, the evidence remains largely confined to a brief report and the subsequent debate over the reporting aircraft itself.[TWZ]twz.comThe Strangest Encounters With Unidentified Aircraft We've…20 Jul 2021 — We found over 50 highly unusual incidents with our new FAA…
Why the Case Still Matters in Louisiana UFO History
The New Orleans disc sighting occupies an interesting middle ground in Louisiana’s aviation-UFO record. It is not a convincing demonstration of extraordinary technology, nor has it been conclusively explained. Instead, it illustrates a recurring pattern seen in pilot reports across the state and elsewhere in the United States: an apparently sincere observation enters official records, gains attention because of an unusual description, and then becomes difficult to evaluate because crucial contextual information is missing.[TWZ]twz.comThe Strangest Encounters With Unidentified Aircraft We've…20 Jul 2021 — We found over 50 highly unusual incidents with our new FAA…
For readers exploring Louisiana’s broader history of pilot sightings—from Shreveport-area reports to incidents near major airports—the New Orleans case serves as a reminder that witness credibility and evidential strength are not the same thing. A pilot may genuinely report something unusual, yet the available record may still be too incomplete to establish what was seen. In this instance, the unresolved conflict over whether the reporting aircraft was a Jetstream or a PC-12 weakens the case more than the disc-shaped description strengthens it.[TWZ]twz.comThe Strangest Encounters With Unidentified Aircraft We've…20 Jul 2021 — We found over 50 highly unusual incidents with our new FAA…
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Endnotes
1.
Source: twz.com
Link:https://www.twz.com/41573/the-strangest-encounters-with-unidentified-aircraft-weve-found-in-the-faas-huge-database
Source snippet
The Strangest Encounters With Unidentified Aircraft We've...20 Jul 2021 — We found over 50 highly unusual incidents with our new FAA...
2.
Source: faa.gov
Title: FY2017 Q4 De identification Redaction 11192017.xlsx
Link:https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/uas/resources/public_records/uas_sightings_report/FY2017_Q4_De-identification_Redaction_11192017.xlsx
3.
Source: faa.gov
Link:https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/flight_info/aeronav/digital_products/dof/
4.
Source: faa.gov
Title: afn afn 20231129 fy22 may22 sept22.xlsx
Link:https://www.faa.gov/foia/electronic_reading_room/logs/afn-afn-20231129-fy22-may22-sept22.xlsx
5.
Source: war.gov
Link:https://www.war.gov/medialink/ufo/071026/release_04/documents/DOW-UAP-D094_Analysis-of-Flying-Object-Incidents-in-the-US_1949.pdf
Additional References
6.
Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/61554170293472/posts/a-netjets-crew-reported-seeing-a-large-silver-object-pass-down-the-right-side-of/122256832448139009/
Source snippet
A NetJets crew reported seeing a large silver object pass...The pilot observed the phenomenon for several seconds, long enough to exclud...
7.
Source: facebook.com
Link:https://www.facebook.com/TheAviationist/posts/i-had-to-update-this-composite-image-with-the-latest-mysterious-aircraft-we-have/1009627165148617/
Source snippet
The AviationistA pilot reported seeing a black cube-shaped object at 16,000 feet, just 500 feet below their aircraft. No lights. No trans...
8.
Source: foxnews.com
Link:https://www.foxnews.com/us/pilot-reports-ufo-hovering-beside-jet-leaving-air-traffic-control-stunned-good-luck-aliens
Source snippet
Pilot reports UFO hovering beside jet, leaving air traffic...22 Dec 2025 — A pilot of a private jet encountered a mysterious silver, cyl...
9.
Source: ndtv.com
Title: swarm of unidentified objects seen near us military sites report 8450720
Link:https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/swarm-of-unidentified-objects-seen-near-us-military-sites-report-8450720
Source snippet
Of Unidentified Objects Seen Near US Military Sites19 May 2025 — The FAA confirmed that it logs sightings of "Unidentified Aerial Phenome...
Published: May 2025
10.
Source: youtube.com
Title: The Pascagoula UFO Incident | When Nightmares Come True
Link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAEsS4IOrBk
Source snippet
"FAA" pilot reports "UFO" OR "UAP" FAA-Archived: Multiple Pilots Report Mysterious UFO Lights at FL370 | Real ATC Audio Flight Follower...
11.
Source: youtube.com
Link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNiJz-U0mcs
Source snippet
FAA ATC Recordings Reveal Pilot UFO Sightings Over New York Airspace (1995)...
12.
Source: ntrs.nasa.gov
Title: Pilot Obj Detection Surveyde LERD
Link:https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20250005806/downloads/Pilot%20Obj%20Detection%20Surveyde_LERD.pdf?attachment=true
Source snippet
29, External Visibility System under contract ZA0229 to...Read more...
13.
Source: youtube.com
Link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUxnJI8GvfI
Source snippet
The Pascagoula UFO Incident | When Nightmares Come True...
14.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Pilot Reports a UFO Just Flying By his Plane | “Creepy!”
Link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7AgcmoSecg
Source snippet
FAA-Archived: Multiple Pilots Report Mysterious UFO Lights at FL370 | Real ATC Audio...
15.
Source: youtube.com
Title: The Most Convincing UFO Sighting Ever — Heard on ATC Audio
Link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLIdc4w2eQQ
Source snippet
Pilot Reports a UFO Just Flying By his Plane | "Creepy!"...