Case file · Official inquiry
Hangzhou airport closure
Hangzhou Xiaoshan airport was closed on 7 July 2010 after an unidentified object was reported overhead.
2010 CE · 30.23, 120.43 · status: explained
The account
Flights were diverted or delayed, and media around the world ran photographs said to show the object.
The sceptical view
Investigators from Beijing and Shanghai UFO groups found no radar images, said the widely shared photos were unrelated, and concluded the object was probably an aircraft, possibly military.
The researched reading
An airport really closed, but the evidence points to an aircraft, possibly military, and unrelated photos that circulated online.
| Explanation | Weight | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Something known, misidentified | 60% | Investigators found no radar image and concluded the object was probably an aircraft; widely shared photos were not taken near the airport. |
| Secret human technology | 15% | Chinese reports spoke of a ‘military connection’ that could not be disclosed, suggesting a military flight. |
| Genuinely anomalous | 8% | The official explanation was never published in full, leaving a small open share. |
| A hoax or fabrication | 7% | The most-shared images were unrelated or doctored, though the closure itself was real. |
| Perception, memory or mind | 6% | A pilot’s report triggered a closure; public excitement then attached unrelated photos to it. |
| A known natural phenomenon | 2% | No weather effect fits an object strong enough to close an airport. |
| A poorly understood natural phenomenon | 2% | Nothing suggests an unusual natural light. |
Official position: Authorities and Chinese UFO groups concluded the object was probably an aircraft, possibly military; full results were not disclosed.
Connections in the atlas
- Baotou airport UFO closure
- Cangzhou air force pursuit
- Meng Zhaoguo encounter
- Imphal airport UFO
- O'Hare Airport