Manchester approach near-miss (BA5061)
On 6 January 1995 the pilots of British Airways flight BA5061 from Milan, descending to Manchester over the southern Pennines, saw a lit object flash past their Boeing 737; the first officer ducked.
1995 CE · 53.40, -1.95 · status: disputed
The account
The CAA's Airprox investigation could not identify the object and took the crew's report seriously. It is often cited in pilot-safety arguments about UAP.
The sceptical view
Some researchers attribute the report to a bright fireball (meteor) seen at an angle that made it look close.
The researched reading
Two pilots saw something flash past in a second or two, formally reported and seriously investigated. It was never identified; a small craft invisible to radar or a fireball are the leading candidates, with some room left for the unknown.
| Explanation | Weight | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Something known, misidentified | 35% | At 6.48 pm in January, a large bright object passing a 737 in a second could be a nearby light aircraft or microlight without transponder, a hang-glider, or a balloon; radar showed nothing, which fits a small, weakly reflecting object. |
| A known natural phenomenon | 15% | A bright fireball seen at an angle can appear to streak past close by, though both pilots described a structured object with lights, which fits a meteor less well. |
| Secret human technology | 15% | A covert or unannounced military aircraft in UK airspace has been suggested; the MoD said it was notified but gave no identification. |
| Genuinely anomalous | 15% | Two experienced pilots gave consistent accounts of a lit, wedge-shaped object at close range, and the official inquiry could not identify it, so a residue remains unexplained. |
| Perception, memory or mind | 10% | An event lasting a second or two in darkness leaves little time for accurate perception; size and shape are often filled in afterwards. |
| A poorly understood natural phenomenon | 7% | A rare atmospheric light such as ball lightning is possible, but no storms were reported. |
| A hoax or fabrication | 3% | Both pilots filed a formal report under their own names; fabrication is very unlikely. |
Official position: The Joint Airmiss Working Group could not identify the object and found both the risk and the cause "unassessable".