1995.01.06
British Airways 737 approaching Manchester’s Ringway airport was buzzed by a fast-moving UFO, which hurtled directly towards them before veering off downside of the aircraft. The pilot instinctively dived before calling Air Traffic Control, who told Captain Roger Wills and First Officer Mark Stuart that there were no other aircraft in the area.
(Fact or Fiction: UFOs, Blundell)
The pilot… reported being overtaken at high speed by a wedge-shaped craft as he began his descent to Manchester airport. Although nothing appeared on radar to confirm the sighting, the pilot, Captain Roger Wills, was convinced that the object was covered in small white lights, and his first officer [Mark Stuart] noted a black stripe on its side…
(Borderlands, Dash)
The pilots of British Airways flight 5061 reported the incident as they flew over the Pennines en route from Milan on January 6 1995.
Captain Roger Wills and co-pilot First Officer Mark Stuart both saw a lit object fly down the right-hand side of the aircraft at a high speed from the opposite direction, a CAA report revealed.
The men were able to track the object through the right-hand windscreen and side window, having it in sight for about two seconds.
Manchester Air Traffic Control recorded no known traffic in the vicinity on radar.
(telegraph.co.uk 2010.02.18)
The British Airways jet’s experience… was investigated by an official body called the Independent Joint Airmiss Working Group, which could find no likely explanation.
(Borderlands, Dash)
A report detailing the crew’s evidence was forwarded to the Civil Aviation Authority for investigation.
(Fact or Fiction: UFOs, Blundell)
In files released by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and National Archives, correspondence reveals the MoD’s take on the incident, following requests for details from the public.
In a letter dated April 1996, an unidentified MoD official said: ”With regards to the airmiss reported by the British Airways pilots approaching Manchester Airport on January 6 1995, I can confirm that as a matter of routine the MoD was notified about the pilots’ report by the Civil Aviation Authority shortly after the incident occurred.
At the time I discussed the matter with the departmental air defence experts who confirmed that they were not aware of anything which would indicate a matter of defence significance associated with the sighting, or any evidence that the UK’s air defences had been compromised.
In the absence of such evidence, MoD interest in the sighting has long since ceased.”
(telegraph.co.uk 2010.02.18)
[Time of sighting unknown to LUFORU. Hynek category of nocturnal lights has been chosen temporarily as UFO displayed lights.]