‘Flying saucer’ sighting near Gatwick airport raises questions after pilot reports close encounter

A routine landing at one of the United Kingdom’s busiest airports took a bizarre turn after a commercial airline pilot reported spotting what looked like a flying saucer just moments before touchdown. The mysterious object appeared so close to the aircraft that it immediately raised safety concerns.

The sighting happened as the Airbus A319 was approaching Gatwick Airport. While investigators believe the object may have been a drone, its unusual shape left enough uncertainty for it to be described as a possible “flying saucer” in the official report.

According to BroBible, the incident was reviewed by the UK Airprox Board, which investigates near misses involving aircraft. Although no evasive action was needed, officials still concluded that the encounter reduced the safety margin for the passenger jet.

Turns out the strange object wasn’t just a quick glimpse

According to the UK Airprox Board, the A319 pilot reported seeing “a disc or ‘flying saucer’ type” object while descending and turning left toward Gatwick Airport. Investigators said the object passed in the opposite direction at roughly the same altitude. 

It came within an estimated 100 to 300 feet of the aircraft’s right wing. The pilot described it as a disc with darker markings around its rim. While it was suspected to be a drone, the crew could not confirm exactly what it was.

Reports of unusual objects in the sky continue to fuel curiosity well beyond official aviation investigations. In another story, a Brazilian psychic claimed a UFO would appear during the FIFA World Cup in Miami, sparking widespread debate across social media.

The report noted that the object was “very close to the aircraft”. However, the crew did not need to take evasive action because the plane was already turning during its approach.

The Gatwick incident was not the only unusual sighting reported that month. Near Heathrow Airport in London, the pilot of an Airbus A321 also reported a close encounter with what appeared to be a drone. According to investigators, the aircraft was turning onto its base leg over Marlow when the pilot saw the object pass down the left side of the plane.

The official report stated the drone was close enough for the crew to clearly see “its color, shape and individual props spinning.” The Airprox Board later concluded that “a definite risk of collision had existed” in that Heathrow incident. In the Gatwick case, officials also determined that the unidentified object had reduced the safety of the aircraft even though it was never confirmed whether it was actually a drone.

The broader conversation around unidentified aerial phenomena has also extended beyond aviation and into politics. Recently, Marjorie Taylor Greene argued that renewed attention on UFO files was being used to distract the public from other issues.

Another crew involved in the investigation also reported that the object came close enough for them to make out markings and even see its propellers. Whatever the object truly was, investigators agreed it came far too close to a passenger aircraft, leaving the biggest mystery centered on why anything was flying near commercial planes in the first place.