Today my dad told me about something on the FoxNews Channel that he saw alleging that NORAD scrambled some fighter jets to check out some form of UFO early this morning. However, upon reaching destination the object was said to have disappeared from the radar. Eyewitnesses, though, claim to have seen the fighter jets encircle the mysterious aircraft.
Nonetheless, my internet scouring for such a report has been fruitless, and I’ve seen nothing on TV about it. Can anyone help? Much thanks.
Even if such a thing did happen, it wouldn’t be all that remarkable. Especially after Sept 11, fighters intercept unidentified or suspicious-acting aircraft all the time. It’s not a stretch to imagine that eyewitness saw something and the news organisation garbled the details.
Fighters were scrambled to intercept a light aircraft today or yesterday when the low-time pilot inadvertantly squawked the wrong code.
A link to the incident Johnny L.A. mentioned: Pilot’s accidental signal sends F-16s into action.
A friend of mine sent me a link to the article mentioned in the OP.
From the witness:
From the Air Force:
Here’s a logical explanation that immediately popped into my mind: Radar detected a “low, slow-flying aircraft” that could not be contacted. Jets were scrambled to investigate. I’ve never piloted an aircraft outside of the western states, so I don’t know the airspace in Washington D.C. I’ve heard that airspace is much more congested back there, but out here there’s a lot of uncontrolled airspace. But since jets were scrambled, I assume that the the target was in controlled airspace.
In certain areas of airspace, an aircraft is required to have a radio. Within 30 nautical miles of a major airport, aircraft are required to have a transponder. A transponder receives a radar signal and sends its own signal out saying, “Here I am!” (There’s also an “IDENT” button the pilot can push that says, “HEY! HERE I AM!”) Without a transponder, radar must detect an aircraft from a “skin paint” – a return from the energy bouncing off of the surface of the aircraft. Most aircraft are good reflectors, but some are made of composite materials or have a metal frame covered with fabric. Radar signatures would be less from these aircraft.
The witness said, “It looked like a shooting star with no trailing mist.” Venus, which is blue-ish in colour (at least it isn’t red, lik Mars) is often mistaken for a UFO, and it has no “trailing mist” or tail.
Perhaps a light aircraft, flying “low and slow” (not at all unusual) wandered into controlled airspace. The pilot may have forgotten to turn on the radio, or the radio may not have been working (I’ve had a partial radio failure myself – it happens). The aircraft may not have had a transponder, or the transponder may not have been turned on. (Usually ATC will mention to the pilot that they are not receiving the transponder signal and suggest that the pilot “recycle” it. In other words, “Hey, dummy. It’s that little knob on the box. You have to turn it on.” The pilot looks down and realizes he forgot to turn the transponder on, turns it on, and says, “I’ve recycled. How is it now?” Technically it’s a violation, but it’s easier for everyone to pretend it was a problem with the device.) It’s also possible that the pilot was flying an ultralight, which has a small radar signature, no electrical system, and are not allowed to fly at night. Illegal, but terrestrial.
The Air Force sends up interceptors to make sure the guy is not a terrorist. The witness, hearing the jets at an unusual hour, looks up and sees Venus. Mistaking the planet for a fast-moving craft (there’s a thread somewhere about how a “stationary” object may appear to be moving at high speed), adds two and two together, and comes up with five. “There’s something in the sky. Jets are intercepting it. It must be a UFO.”
In the meantime, the aircraft has gotten lost in the ground clutter or flew beyond the range the radar could detect him without a transponder and was lost.
Either that, or what the witness saw was a weather ballon filled with swamp gas that was ignited by the light of Venus over a normal farm field that was not at all a crop circle. Now, this is called a “neuralizer”. If you would please look into this red light right here…