2006 O'Hare International Airport UFO sighting
Encyclopedia
The Chicago O'Hare UFO sighting occurred on November 7, 2006, when people at Chicago O'Hare International Airport reported seeing a saucer or disc-shaped UFO.
hovering over gate C-17.
According to eyewitness reports, the strange object was first spotted by a ramp employee who was "pushing back"
United Airlines
flight 446 which was departing Chicago for Charlotte, North Carolina
. The ramp worker then apprised the flight crew of UA446 of the existence of the spinning, metallic object above their aircraft, and it is believed that both the pilot and co-pilot of this aircraft also witnessed the object at that time.
According to the History Channel's television show UFO Hunters, several independent witnesses outside of the airport also witnessed the object. In an audio interview aired during the episode, one of these witnesses describes a "blatant" disc shaped craft hovering over the airport which was "obviously not clouds." According to this witness, several nearby observers gasped as the object shot through the clouds at high velocity, leaving a clear blue hole in the cloud layer.
According to Jon Hilkevitch of the Chicago Tribune
in an interview on Fox News' Glenn Beck
program: "The disc was visible for approximately two minutes and was seen by close to a dozen United Airlines employees, ranging from pilots to supervisors, who heard chatter on the radio and raced out to view it." The UFO was then seen to suddenly accelerate straight up through the overcast skies. Witnesses reported that the object left behind an open hole of clear air in the cloud layer and that the mysterious hole disappeared or closed within a few minutes. So far, no conclusive photographic evidence of the UFO has surfaced although it was reported to Hilkevitch that one of the United Airlines pilots was in possession of a digital camera at the time of the sighting and may have photographed the event.
(FAA) first denied that they had any information on the O'Hare UFO sighting until the Chicago Tribune, who was investigating the report, filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The FAA then ordered an internal review of air-traffic communications tapes to comply with the Tribune FOIA request which subsequently uncovered a call by the United supervisor to an FAA manager in the airport tower concerning the UFO sighting.
The FAA stance concludes that the sighting was caused by a weather phenomenon and that the agency would not be investigating the incident. UFO investigators have pointed out that this stance is a direct contradiction to the FAA's mandate to investigate possible security breaches at American airports such as in this case; an object witnessed by numerous airport employees and officially reported by at least one of them, hovering in plain sight, over one of the busiest airports in the world. Many witnesses interviewed by the Tribune were apparently "upset" that federal officials declined to further investigate the matter.
, CBS
, MSNBC
, Fox News, Chicago Tribune
, NPR
.
On February 11, 2009 The History Channel
aired an episode with the title "Aliens at Airport" in which they reconstructed the incident.
, a 24 Hour news channel in Oak Brook, Illinois
.
The video shows both men having an off-air discussion about the amount of international media reaction to the UFO story as well as discussing United Airlines' alleged "flip-flop" on the event and the FAA's explanation as "weather phenomenon" that according to Hilkevitch's sources "just doesn't wash." Hilkevitch also mentions that photographs were possibly taken by a pilot with a digital camera and that the story is "the most read story in the history of CT.com [chicagotribune.com]" with almost a "million hits."
Hilkevitch then goes on to say that he is hearing from: "serious researchers at major US universities who've attempted to do their own investigations and, when they go to the government to try to get information, they get stonewalled." Hilkevitch continues by saying "So there really is this universal feeling that the government knows more than it's willing to tell."
After the actual on-air interview is conducted both men continue to discuss the reaction to the event until the screen goes dark and only the audio is heard. The video finally ends with an unknown person off camera saying "It would've landed but uh..." at which point the camera shuts off.
The sighting
At approximately 4:30 p.m on Tuesday November 7, 2006, federal authorities at Chicago O'Hare International Airport received a report that a group of twelve airport employees were witnessing a metallic, saucer-shaped craftFlying saucer
A flying saucer is a type of unidentified flying object sometimes believed to be of alien origin with a disc or saucer-shaped body, usually described as silver or metallic, occasionally reported as covered with running lights or surrounded with a glowing light, hovering or moving rapidly either...
hovering over gate C-17.
According to eyewitness reports, the strange object was first spotted by a ramp employee who was "pushing back"
Pushback
In aviation, pushback is an airport procedure during which an aircraft is pushed backwards away from an airport gate by external power. Pushbacks are carried out by special, low-profile vehicles called pushback tractors or tugs....
United Airlines
United Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
flight 446 which was departing Chicago for Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
. The ramp worker then apprised the flight crew of UA446 of the existence of the spinning, metallic object above their aircraft, and it is believed that both the pilot and co-pilot of this aircraft also witnessed the object at that time.
According to the History Channel's television show UFO Hunters, several independent witnesses outside of the airport also witnessed the object. In an audio interview aired during the episode, one of these witnesses describes a "blatant" disc shaped craft hovering over the airport which was "obviously not clouds." According to this witness, several nearby observers gasped as the object shot through the clouds at high velocity, leaving a clear blue hole in the cloud layer.
According to Jon Hilkevitch of the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
in an interview on Fox News' Glenn Beck
Glenn Beck
Glenn Edward Lee Beck is an American conservative radio host, vlogger, author, entrepreneur, political commentator and former television host. He hosts the Glenn Beck Program, a nationally syndicated talk-radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks...
program: "The disc was visible for approximately two minutes and was seen by close to a dozen United Airlines employees, ranging from pilots to supervisors, who heard chatter on the radio and raced out to view it." The UFO was then seen to suddenly accelerate straight up through the overcast skies. Witnesses reported that the object left behind an open hole of clear air in the cloud layer and that the mysterious hole disappeared or closed within a few minutes. So far, no conclusive photographic evidence of the UFO has surfaced although it was reported to Hilkevitch that one of the United Airlines pilots was in possession of a digital camera at the time of the sighting and may have photographed the event.
Reaction from the Federal Aviation Administration and United Airlines
Both United Airlines and the Federal Aviation AdministrationFederal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
(FAA) first denied that they had any information on the O'Hare UFO sighting until the Chicago Tribune, who was investigating the report, filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The FAA then ordered an internal review of air-traffic communications tapes to comply with the Tribune FOIA request which subsequently uncovered a call by the United supervisor to an FAA manager in the airport tower concerning the UFO sighting.
The FAA stance concludes that the sighting was caused by a weather phenomenon and that the agency would not be investigating the incident. UFO investigators have pointed out that this stance is a direct contradiction to the FAA's mandate to investigate possible security breaches at American airports such as in this case; an object witnessed by numerous airport employees and officially reported by at least one of them, hovering in plain sight, over one of the busiest airports in the world. Many witnesses interviewed by the Tribune were apparently "upset" that federal officials declined to further investigate the matter.
Media coverage
The Chicago O'Hare airport UFO story was picked up by various major mainstream media groups such as CNNCNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
, MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
, Fox News, Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
.
On February 11, 2009 The History Channel
The History Channel
History, formerly known as The History Channel, is an American-based international satellite and cable TV channel that broadcasts a variety of reality shows and documentary programs including those of fictional and non-fictional historical content, together with speculation about the future.-...
aired an episode with the title "Aliens at Airport" in which they reconstructed the incident.
Leaked newsroom footage of Jon Hilkevitch interview
A video surfaced in early 2007 showing an unedited pre-interview discussion of the Chicago O'Hare Airport UFO sighting between Jon Hilkevitch (the Chicago Tribune transportation reporter who reported the Chicago UFO story) and Jim Wagner a news anchor with CLTVCLTV
CLTV can mean:* In Finance, the combined loan to value ratio* In Marketing, the Customer lifetime value of a customer.* An acronym for Chicagoland Television, a Chicago-area local news channel...
, a 24 Hour news channel in Oak Brook, Illinois
Oak Brook, Illinois
Oak Brook is a village in DuPage and Cook Counties, in Illinois. The population was 8,702 at the 2000 census. A suburb of Chicago, it is the headquarters of McDonald's and Lions Clubs International.-History:...
.
The video shows both men having an off-air discussion about the amount of international media reaction to the UFO story as well as discussing United Airlines' alleged "flip-flop" on the event and the FAA's explanation as "weather phenomenon" that according to Hilkevitch's sources "just doesn't wash." Hilkevitch also mentions that photographs were possibly taken by a pilot with a digital camera and that the story is "the most read story in the history of CT.com [chicagotribune.com]" with almost a "million hits."
Hilkevitch then goes on to say that he is hearing from: "serious researchers at major US universities who've attempted to do their own investigations and, when they go to the government to try to get information, they get stonewalled." Hilkevitch continues by saying "So there really is this universal feeling that the government knows more than it's willing to tell."
After the actual on-air interview is conducted both men continue to discuss the reaction to the event until the screen goes dark and only the audio is heard. The video finally ends with an unknown person off camera saying "It would've landed but uh..." at which point the camera shuts off.