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00:00:02,419 --> 00:00:05,629
NARRATOR: Terrifying encounters
at 40,000 feet.
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00:00:05,714 --> 00:00:07,554
So I kind of looked
over my left shoulder,
3
00:00:07,633 --> 00:00:09,843
and there’s this
bright light in our face.
4
00:00:09,927 --> 00:00:11,177
It’s a pulsating orb.
5
00:00:11,261 --> 00:00:13,101
Look at that, dude.
Look at that.
6
00:00:13,222 --> 00:00:15,272
NARRATOR:
Pilot accounts of UFOs
7
00:00:15,390 --> 00:00:17,390
taking control
of their aircraft.
8
00:00:17,476 --> 00:00:19,386
BILL BIRNES:
Goes to move the yoke,
9
00:00:19,478 --> 00:00:21,398
and the yoke is
moving on itself.
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00:00:21,480 --> 00:00:23,440
If it climbs any further,
11
00:00:23,565 --> 00:00:25,065
it will stall out.
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00:00:25,192 --> 00:00:27,532
NARRATOR:
And entire jumbo jets
13
00:00:27,611 --> 00:00:29,491
disappearing into thin air.
14
00:00:29,571 --> 00:00:32,241
How do you have a commercial
airliner just vanish?
15
00:00:32,366 --> 00:00:34,526
NARRATOR:
Since the dawn of aviation,
16
00:00:34,618 --> 00:00:39,158
pilots have experienced
unexplainable events in the sky.
17
00:00:39,248 --> 00:00:42,378
Is it possible that
what they have witnessed
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00:00:42,459 --> 00:00:45,379
are aliens in our airspace?
19
00:00:45,462 --> 00:00:48,762
GIORGIO A. TSOUKALOS: When
you have thousands of pilots
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00:00:48,882 --> 00:00:51,432
coming forward with encounters
21
00:00:51,552 --> 00:00:53,432
that they’ve witnessed
up in the sky,
22
00:00:53,554 --> 00:00:54,894
with so-called UFOs,
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00:00:54,972 --> 00:00:56,432
I think we should
pay more attention
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00:00:56,557 --> 00:00:58,637
to what these pilots
have been saying.
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NARRATOR:
There is a doorway
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00:01:03,272 --> 00:01:05,942
in the universe.
27
00:01:06,024 --> 00:01:09,114
Beyond it is
the promise of truth.
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It demands
we question everything
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00:01:12,781 --> 00:01:14,951
we have ever been taught.
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The evidence is all around us.
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00:01:19,371 --> 00:01:22,751
The future is
right before our eyes.
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00:01:22,833 --> 00:01:25,463
We are not alone.
33
00:01:25,544 --> 00:01:29,094
We have never been alone.
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00:01:36,930 --> 00:01:41,480
In 2017, The New York
Times broke the story
35
00:01:41,602 --> 00:01:44,312
of the U.S. government’s
secret investigations
36
00:01:44,396 --> 00:01:46,976
into unexplained
aerial phenomena.
37
00:01:47,107 --> 00:01:49,357
And in the years that followed,
38
00:01:49,484 --> 00:01:51,954
a number of
sensational UFO videos
39
00:01:52,029 --> 00:01:55,119
have been released,
or leaked, to the public.
40
00:01:58,619 --> 00:02:00,409
NARRATOR:
Nearly all of the footage
41
00:02:00,495 --> 00:02:02,455
was recorded by cameras
42
00:02:02,539 --> 00:02:04,829
mounted on U.S. Navy
fighter jets.
43
00:02:04,916 --> 00:02:07,496
The videos captured the public’s
44
00:02:07,628 --> 00:02:10,838
imagination like
no other UFO images
45
00:02:10,922 --> 00:02:12,132
that had come before them...
46
00:02:14,926 --> 00:02:17,176
But Navy pilots are not alone
47
00:02:17,304 --> 00:02:20,684
in witnessing unidentified
flying objects.
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00:02:21,892 --> 00:02:23,982
For decades, shocking encounters
49
00:02:24,061 --> 00:02:26,351
have been reported
by non-military,
50
00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:28,060
civilian pilots.
51
00:02:29,024 --> 00:02:31,364
UAP sightings by
commercial airline pilots
52
00:02:31,443 --> 00:02:35,493
are a lot more commonplace
than what we generally think of.
53
00:02:36,657 --> 00:02:39,827
We’ve seen a lot of
the footage from the military,
54
00:02:39,910 --> 00:02:42,790
but we’re actually
getting a lot more reports
55
00:02:42,871 --> 00:02:45,211
from our civilian pilots.
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00:02:45,332 --> 00:02:47,882
There are more civilian
pilots than military pilots.
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00:02:48,001 --> 00:02:50,711
And you have
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00:02:50,796 --> 00:02:53,546
an exponentially
larger amount of flights
59
00:02:53,674 --> 00:02:55,054
with commercial airlines
60
00:02:55,175 --> 00:02:57,675
than you do with
military airplanes.
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00:03:04,142 --> 00:03:07,192
NARRATOR:
Japan Airlines Flight 1628
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00:03:07,270 --> 00:03:09,770
is carrying cargo
from Paris, France
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00:03:09,898 --> 00:03:13,228
to Narita International
Airport near Tokyo.
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00:03:13,318 --> 00:03:15,398
The three-person crew
65
00:03:15,529 --> 00:03:18,199
is led by Captain
Kenju Terauchi,
66
00:03:18,281 --> 00:03:22,581
an ex-fighter pilot with over
10,000 hours of flight time.
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00:03:23,704 --> 00:03:26,124
As the 747 approaches Anchorage,
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00:03:26,248 --> 00:03:30,038
Captain Terauchi
notices two strange lights
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00:03:30,127 --> 00:03:32,247
out of his cockpit window.
70
00:03:33,338 --> 00:03:36,258
It’s dark. It’s, uh, very
early morning. Before sunrise.
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00:03:39,469 --> 00:03:42,259
These lights are
clearly maneuvering.
72
00:03:42,347 --> 00:03:44,597
They are, in relationship
to each other,
73
00:03:44,683 --> 00:03:46,563
one is on top of the other,
74
00:03:46,643 --> 00:03:49,733
and they move directly
in front of his aircraft.
75
00:03:51,273 --> 00:03:53,943
Now, he’s flying at
about 500 miles per hour.
76
00:03:55,527 --> 00:03:57,107
These things are pacing him.
77
00:03:58,739 --> 00:04:01,529
NARRATOR:
Captain Terauchi
realizes the lights
78
00:04:01,616 --> 00:04:04,616
are strange oval-shaped
flying objects,
79
00:04:04,745 --> 00:04:09,125
and they are getting dangerously
close to his aircraft.
80
00:04:09,207 --> 00:04:12,127
As bright lights
fill the cockpit,
81
00:04:12,210 --> 00:04:14,960
Captain Terauchi radios
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00:04:15,046 --> 00:04:17,256
the Anchorage Air
Traffic Control Center
83
00:04:17,340 --> 00:04:21,680
and asks if they can identify
the objects near his plane.
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00:04:53,001 --> 00:04:57,171
NARRATOR: As Terauchi attempts
a series of evasive maneuvers
85
00:04:57,255 --> 00:04:59,665
to avoid a potential collision,
86
00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:03,010
the two UFOs suddenly disappear.
87
00:05:03,970 --> 00:05:06,560
In their place
is another object.
88
00:05:08,058 --> 00:05:12,058
One so large, it dwarfs the 747.
89
00:05:13,855 --> 00:05:19,065
RICHARD DOLAN:
His words for describing it
were, "gigantic spaceship
90
00:05:19,194 --> 00:05:22,034
the size of maybe
two aircraft carriers."
91
00:05:22,113 --> 00:05:23,363
Just immense.
92
00:05:23,490 --> 00:05:27,700
Tarauchi sees this
massive thing in the sky,
93
00:05:27,828 --> 00:05:29,448
and he’s scared.
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00:05:30,622 --> 00:05:32,712
NARRATOR:
Concerned by Captain
Terauchi’s report,
95
00:05:32,833 --> 00:05:35,543
the air traffic controller
calls NORAD,
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00:05:35,627 --> 00:05:38,877
the North American
Aerospace Defense Command,
97
00:05:38,964 --> 00:05:42,844
based at Elmendorf
Air Force Base in Anchorage.
98
00:05:44,010 --> 00:05:46,600
Communication specialists
at the airbase
99
00:05:46,721 --> 00:05:50,601
confirm that there is a very
large unidentified object
100
00:05:50,725 --> 00:05:53,385
on their radar screens.
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00:05:53,478 --> 00:05:55,018
Traffic control told them
that they could actually
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00:05:55,105 --> 00:05:57,365
take whatever evasive
actions they needed to,
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00:05:57,440 --> 00:05:58,780
to avoid collision,
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00:05:58,900 --> 00:06:01,280
and they even dropped
down to 4,000 feet
105
00:06:01,403 --> 00:06:03,243
above sea level,
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00:06:03,321 --> 00:06:05,781
and the thing continued
to follow them.
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00:06:05,907 --> 00:06:08,697
RYAN SPRAGUE:
Air traffic control
diverted another
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00:06:08,785 --> 00:06:11,195
commercial flight to
come look at this UFO.
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00:06:11,288 --> 00:06:12,958
And by the time they got there,
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00:06:13,081 --> 00:06:15,251
the UFO was completely gone.
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00:06:16,501 --> 00:06:18,091
TSOUKALOS:
One of the reasons
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00:06:18,169 --> 00:06:21,839
why the J.A.L. report is
such a big deal is because
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00:06:21,923 --> 00:06:24,763
the corroborating
evidence is overwhelming.
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00:06:26,595 --> 00:06:28,685
Not only were there
eyewitness reports,
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00:06:28,763 --> 00:06:31,433
but there’s the records of
the communication systems
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00:06:31,558 --> 00:06:34,268
that Terauchi was in touch with,
117
00:06:34,352 --> 00:06:37,112
actual dialogue that happened.
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00:06:37,188 --> 00:06:38,818
"Hey, we are up here.
119
00:06:38,940 --> 00:06:40,900
We see this. Are you guys
seeing this on your radar?"
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00:06:40,984 --> 00:06:42,194
All this stuff is recorded.
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00:06:42,277 --> 00:06:44,607
NARRATOR:
Once safely grounded,
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00:06:44,696 --> 00:06:47,276
Captain Terauchi, his copilot
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00:06:47,407 --> 00:06:50,487
and flight engineer
were immediately interviewed
124
00:06:50,619 --> 00:06:53,829
by Alaska Federal Aviation
Administration officials
125
00:06:53,955 --> 00:06:56,415
and other special agents.
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00:06:56,499 --> 00:06:57,959
NICK POPE:
There’s an FAA
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00:06:58,084 --> 00:07:00,464
investigation into this.
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00:07:00,545 --> 00:07:03,295
There’s lots of documentation.
129
00:07:03,423 --> 00:07:07,593
There’s no real, hard
and fast conclusion about this.
130
00:07:07,677 --> 00:07:09,967
And so, the pilot,
perhaps out of frustration,
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00:07:10,096 --> 00:07:11,636
talks to the media.
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00:07:13,141 --> 00:07:18,151
NARRATOR:
In December 1986,
one month after the encounter,
133
00:07:18,229 --> 00:07:21,229
Captain Terauchi
contacted Kyodo News
134
00:07:21,316 --> 00:07:23,646
and said he believed
the mysterious crafts
135
00:07:23,735 --> 00:07:26,155
were of extraterrestrial origin.
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00:07:27,530 --> 00:07:29,660
The unauthorized statements
137
00:07:29,783 --> 00:07:31,833
prompted Japan
Airlines officials
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00:07:31,952 --> 00:07:34,832
to remove Captain Terauchi
from pilot duty,
139
00:07:34,955 --> 00:07:37,335
and assign him to a desk job.
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00:07:39,292 --> 00:07:42,342
Around the same time,
John Callahan,
141
00:07:42,462 --> 00:07:44,262
the FAA’s division chief
142
00:07:44,339 --> 00:07:46,669
of the Accidents
and Investigations branch.
143
00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:48,130
learned of the incident
144
00:07:48,218 --> 00:07:51,218
and deemed it
worthy of investigation.
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00:07:52,347 --> 00:07:55,557
DOLAN:
John Callahan
went to D.C. about this,
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00:07:55,684 --> 00:07:56,814
and there was a meeting
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00:07:56,893 --> 00:07:58,393
that was chaired by
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00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:00,350
one of the top
people of the FAA.
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00:08:00,438 --> 00:08:02,818
This meeting was also attended
150
00:08:02,899 --> 00:08:04,979
by representatives of the FBI,
151
00:08:05,068 --> 00:08:08,198
representatives of the CIA
152
00:08:08,321 --> 00:08:11,531
and representatives of
President Reagan’s White House.
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00:08:11,616 --> 00:08:13,076
They had audiotapes
154
00:08:13,201 --> 00:08:14,541
that were played,
155
00:08:14,619 --> 00:08:17,079
between the pilot
and air traffic control,
156
00:08:17,205 --> 00:08:19,035
describing everything
that was happening,
157
00:08:19,124 --> 00:08:20,714
and written reports.
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00:08:20,792 --> 00:08:22,382
And at the end of the meeting,
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00:08:22,502 --> 00:08:25,382
one of the CIA, uh, agents
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00:08:25,505 --> 00:08:30,215
stood up and said,
"This meeting never happened,
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00:08:30,301 --> 00:08:34,221
"and we’re confiscating
all of the data
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00:08:34,347 --> 00:08:37,057
that has been, uh, shared here."
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00:08:37,183 --> 00:08:38,733
Now, Callahan,
164
00:08:38,852 --> 00:08:41,692
he was a little sly,
but he was within his rights.
165
00:08:41,771 --> 00:08:44,521
"They never asked me,"
he said, "if I had a copy
166
00:08:44,607 --> 00:08:47,237
of any of this myself," he said.
"Which I did."
167
00:08:48,486 --> 00:08:51,656
He had a copy of the audio
recordings, if nothing else.
168
00:08:51,740 --> 00:08:53,240
And a little over
a decade later,
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00:08:53,324 --> 00:08:55,544
shared that with the public.
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00:08:56,703 --> 00:08:59,043
MICAH HANKS:
John Callahan came away
with the feeling
171
00:08:59,122 --> 00:09:01,212
that there was
essentially a kind of coverup.
172
00:09:01,291 --> 00:09:02,921
The FAA didn’t want the fact
173
00:09:03,043 --> 00:09:05,093
that this incident
had occurred to get out.
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00:09:05,170 --> 00:09:08,760
POPE:
I’ve spoken to pilots
who have seen
175
00:09:08,882 --> 00:09:11,092
amazing things out there,
176
00:09:11,176 --> 00:09:13,006
but never report it
177
00:09:13,094 --> 00:09:15,764
because of the fear
of being disbelieved,
178
00:09:15,889 --> 00:09:17,429
being ridiculed, and
179
00:09:17,557 --> 00:09:20,887
perhaps, being grounded.
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00:09:20,977 --> 00:09:24,107
You won’t be flying anymore.
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00:09:24,230 --> 00:09:26,940
So, what do they say?
Most times, nothing.
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00:09:28,443 --> 00:09:33,073
TSOUKALOS:
You have countless commercial
and private airline pilots
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00:09:33,156 --> 00:09:37,446
who spend an exorbitant
amount of time up in the sky.
184
00:09:37,577 --> 00:09:40,997
And, in my opinion,
I think they’re the best people
185
00:09:41,122 --> 00:09:43,962
to discern what is natural
186
00:09:44,084 --> 00:09:45,754
and what is not.
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00:09:45,835 --> 00:09:48,625
NARRATOR:
As far as ancient
astronaut theorists
188
00:09:48,755 --> 00:09:50,135
are concerned,
189
00:09:50,256 --> 00:09:53,296
UFO encounters
reported by civilian pilots
190
00:09:53,384 --> 00:09:57,264
provide some of the
most compelling evidence
191
00:09:57,347 --> 00:09:59,017
that there is an
extraterrestrial presence
192
00:09:59,140 --> 00:10:01,310
in the skies above Earth.
193
00:10:02,393 --> 00:10:04,443
And, according to some pilots,
194
00:10:04,521 --> 00:10:06,771
what they’ve witnessed presents
195
00:10:06,856 --> 00:10:08,856
a serious danger.
196
00:10:14,155 --> 00:10:16,065
NARRATOR:
For ancient astronaut theorists,
197
00:10:16,157 --> 00:10:18,327
UFO sightings reported by pilots
198
00:10:18,409 --> 00:10:20,829
are particularly intriguing,
199
00:10:20,912 --> 00:10:25,582
because while accounts of
strange phenomena in the sky
200
00:10:25,667 --> 00:10:27,417
date back millennia,
201
00:10:27,502 --> 00:10:29,672
it is only in the past century
202
00:10:29,796 --> 00:10:32,586
that humans have had
an aerial vantage point.
203
00:10:33,633 --> 00:10:35,593
DAVID CHILDRESS:
For thousands of years,
204
00:10:35,677 --> 00:10:37,507
we could only observe
things in the sky
205
00:10:37,637 --> 00:10:38,927
from the ground,
206
00:10:39,013 --> 00:10:40,893
but in the last hundred
or so years,
207
00:10:41,015 --> 00:10:43,175
we’ve had the ability to fly.
208
00:10:43,268 --> 00:10:46,518
And so now we’re up
in the sky ourselves.
209
00:10:46,604 --> 00:10:50,574
We can discern natural
phenomena from powered craft.
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00:10:53,653 --> 00:10:55,113
NARRATOR:
Thousands of pilots
211
00:10:55,196 --> 00:10:56,776
have reported observing
212
00:10:56,865 --> 00:11:00,705
phenomena in the sky that do
not resemble any weather anomaly
213
00:11:00,827 --> 00:11:03,907
or man-made aircraft
they’ve ever encountered.
214
00:11:04,998 --> 00:11:07,828
Such was the case
with Captain Erik Delgado,
215
00:11:07,917 --> 00:11:11,167
who served as an Air Force
pilot for ten years
216
00:11:11,254 --> 00:11:15,264
before being hired
to fly for FedEx in 2001.
217
00:11:15,383 --> 00:11:19,603
On the evening
of March 20, 2020,
218
00:11:19,721 --> 00:11:23,101
Captain Delgado
departed from Mexico City
219
00:11:23,224 --> 00:11:26,944
in a Boeing 767
bound for Memphis, Tennessee.
220
00:11:28,438 --> 00:11:32,318
One hour into the flight,
Delgado noticed something
221
00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:34,440
strange in the distance.
222
00:11:35,862 --> 00:11:38,202
DELGADO:
Usually when we get
to altitude, we’ll relax.
223
00:11:38,281 --> 00:11:39,571
I was conversing
with my first officer,
224
00:11:39,699 --> 00:11:40,659
and as I’m looking at him,
225
00:11:40,742 --> 00:11:43,162
his eyes got really big
226
00:11:43,244 --> 00:11:45,544
and, uh, his mouth
kind of dropped.
227
00:11:45,622 --> 00:11:47,752
And I’m like, what
the hell is this guy looking at?
228
00:11:47,874 --> 00:11:49,924
And he goes, "Look at
the shooting star,"
229
00:11:50,043 --> 00:11:53,133
and he stops, never-never
finished the word, "Star."
230
00:11:53,254 --> 00:11:55,174
And so I kind of looked
over my left shoulder,
231
00:11:55,256 --> 00:11:57,876
and if you can, uh, imagine
a lighthouse in thin fog,
232
00:11:57,967 --> 00:11:59,637
kind of just
a-a spotlight, sort of,
233
00:11:59,761 --> 00:12:01,851
that just kind of came
over us, and I thought,
234
00:12:01,930 --> 00:12:03,430
"Oh, my God,
it’s another airplane,
235
00:12:03,514 --> 00:12:04,894
"and he’s got
a vector toward us.
236
00:12:04,974 --> 00:12:06,644
What’s this clown doing?"
237
00:12:06,768 --> 00:12:10,268
I grabbed the throttles,
gripping it with a death grip.
238
00:12:10,355 --> 00:12:12,315
I was getting ready to
disconnect the autopilot.
239
00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:14,070
And I’m looking at the screen,
240
00:12:14,150 --> 00:12:16,440
realizing there’s
nothing on the screen.
241
00:12:16,527 --> 00:12:20,197
NARRATOR: Delgado immediately
used his digital camera
242
00:12:20,281 --> 00:12:23,241
to record the astonishing sight.
243
00:12:30,124 --> 00:12:32,384
NARRATOR:
Within minutes of the sighting,
244
00:12:32,460 --> 00:12:34,170
the orb moved towards the plane
245
00:12:34,295 --> 00:12:36,005
at a high rate of speed,
246
00:12:36,130 --> 00:12:37,970
then suddenly stopped short.
247
00:12:38,049 --> 00:12:39,679
DELGADO:
My heart was racing still.
248
00:12:39,801 --> 00:12:42,181
Speed doesn’t kill, you know?
249
00:12:42,303 --> 00:12:43,973
Deceleration, stopping,
that’s what kills you.
250
00:12:44,097 --> 00:12:47,727
And the fact that this
thing stopped like that,
251
00:12:47,809 --> 00:12:49,309
if there were
somebody inside there,
252
00:12:49,435 --> 00:12:51,345
you know, um,
253
00:12:51,479 --> 00:12:53,769
our conventional laws
of physics and stopping,
254
00:12:53,856 --> 00:12:55,226
they wouldn’t have
survived the g-forces,
255
00:12:55,316 --> 00:12:56,856
to come to a stop like that.
256
00:13:00,321 --> 00:13:02,991
NARRATOR:
The UAP flew alongside
Delgado’s aircraft
257
00:13:03,074 --> 00:13:04,584
at an astonishing
258
00:13:04,659 --> 00:13:06,579
500 miles per hour,
259
00:13:06,661 --> 00:13:08,331
and yet there was no sign
260
00:13:08,454 --> 00:13:10,254
of a propulsion system.
261
00:13:11,666 --> 00:13:13,076
DELGADO:
This thing was
parked on our wingtip,
262
00:13:13,167 --> 00:13:14,537
about a thousand, 2,000 feet,
263
00:13:14,669 --> 00:13:15,629
and it didn’t move.
264
00:13:15,712 --> 00:13:17,002
With your naked eye, it was just
265
00:13:17,088 --> 00:13:18,128
bright, dim, bright, dim.
266
00:13:18,214 --> 00:13:19,264
And it was very cyclic.
267
00:13:19,340 --> 00:13:20,800
It didn’t waver,
it was the same.
268
00:13:20,883 --> 00:13:22,473
And you look through the camera,
269
00:13:22,552 --> 00:13:25,972
and now you could
see features in a shape.
270
00:13:27,890 --> 00:13:29,640
NARRATOR: The object
continued to track
271
00:13:29,726 --> 00:13:32,686
Delgado’s aircraft
for nearly 30 miles.
272
00:13:35,356 --> 00:13:36,936
DELGADO: This thing
started rotating,
273
00:13:37,025 --> 00:13:38,865
and started changing colors
and it started taking off.
274
00:13:38,985 --> 00:13:40,905
And so, I’m zooming in
as fast as I could.
275
00:13:45,825 --> 00:13:49,365
DELGADO:
This thing took off with
pretty good velocity.
276
00:13:50,371 --> 00:13:52,121
NARRATOR:
After making a safe landing,
277
00:13:52,206 --> 00:13:54,456
Delgado shared his videos with
278
00:13:54,542 --> 00:13:57,462
air operations center personnel,
279
00:13:57,545 --> 00:13:59,255
even though his
copilot was reluctant
280
00:13:59,380 --> 00:14:01,380
to file an official report.
281
00:14:02,550 --> 00:14:03,970
DELGADO:
There was still a stigma,
behind the whole thing.
282
00:14:04,052 --> 00:14:05,762
You know, are they
gonna ground us?
283
00:14:05,887 --> 00:14:07,717
Are they gonna ask
for our medical, you know?
284
00:14:07,847 --> 00:14:09,217
Are we gonna
have to go see somebody?
285
00:14:09,307 --> 00:14:11,057
So, I could understand
where he was coming from.
286
00:14:12,602 --> 00:14:14,812
HANKS:
In recent years,
we’ve seen military pilots
287
00:14:14,896 --> 00:14:16,306
being encouraged to come forward
288
00:14:16,397 --> 00:14:18,107
and talk about
things they’ve seen.
289
00:14:18,232 --> 00:14:19,652
The same has not necessarily
290
00:14:19,734 --> 00:14:22,194
always extended
to commercial pilots
291
00:14:22,278 --> 00:14:24,238
because there isn’t an interest
292
00:14:24,364 --> 00:14:26,874
in collecting information
from those pilots
293
00:14:26,949 --> 00:14:29,329
the same as there would be
with military pilots,
294
00:14:29,410 --> 00:14:31,200
where in the interest
of national security,
295
00:14:31,287 --> 00:14:33,287
if you see something,
say something.
296
00:14:33,414 --> 00:14:35,334
But traditionally,
297
00:14:35,416 --> 00:14:37,956
when commercial pilots
contacted the FAA,
298
00:14:38,086 --> 00:14:39,836
they have been told,
"Hey, you need to talk
299
00:14:39,921 --> 00:14:41,261
to civilian UFO researchers,"
300
00:14:41,381 --> 00:14:44,011
or they don’t actually
have a clear idea
301
00:14:44,092 --> 00:14:45,932
of where else they can
even log those reports.
302
00:14:46,010 --> 00:14:47,340
So it’s a very
different situation.
303
00:14:48,554 --> 00:14:50,894
NARRATOR:
Captain Delgado decided
not to give the video
304
00:14:50,973 --> 00:14:54,273
to the FAA, and instead,
turned it over to
305
00:14:54,394 --> 00:14:58,524
the National Aviation Reporting
Center on Anomalous Phenomena,
306
00:14:58,606 --> 00:15:00,066
or NARCAP,
307
00:15:00,149 --> 00:15:03,359
a civilian organization
made up of volunteers
308
00:15:03,444 --> 00:15:07,414
who investigate
unidentified aerial sightings.
309
00:15:08,449 --> 00:15:10,739
They concluded that
the glowing object
310
00:15:10,827 --> 00:15:13,537
was consistent with that
of an exotic craft
311
00:15:13,621 --> 00:15:18,041
with a plasma exterior that
could disrupt radar signals.
312
00:15:19,168 --> 00:15:23,838
I think I saw some
intelligent anomaly.
313
00:15:26,968 --> 00:15:29,718
It’s amazing, I-I’d like to know
314
00:15:29,804 --> 00:15:31,684
more of the science
and the physics
315
00:15:31,806 --> 00:15:33,136
behind what I was
looking at, maybe.
316
00:15:33,224 --> 00:15:35,064
But, you know,
317
00:15:35,143 --> 00:15:37,233
see the footage and-and
form your own opinions.
318
00:15:38,896 --> 00:15:40,856
TSOUKALOS:
Things need to change,
319
00:15:40,982 --> 00:15:44,572
because pilots should
be at the forefront
320
00:15:44,652 --> 00:15:47,532
of being free enough
321
00:15:47,655 --> 00:15:52,025
to come forward
to report what they saw.
322
00:15:53,536 --> 00:15:55,616
NARRATOR:
The FAA has never conducted
323
00:15:55,705 --> 00:15:59,795
an official investigation
into pilot Delgado’s incident.
324
00:15:59,876 --> 00:16:03,666
But would they take
notice if a UFO sighting
325
00:16:03,754 --> 00:16:06,764
affected an entire airport?
326
00:16:17,852 --> 00:16:21,772
A ramp employee for
United Airlines Flight 446
327
00:16:21,856 --> 00:16:24,646
spots a metallic
saucer-shaped object
328
00:16:24,734 --> 00:16:27,534
hovering over gate C-17,
329
00:16:27,612 --> 00:16:31,742
between 1,000 and 1,900
feet in the air.
330
00:16:32,700 --> 00:16:35,200
Within minutes,
federal authorities
331
00:16:35,328 --> 00:16:37,868
receive nearly a dozen
panicked phone calls
332
00:16:37,997 --> 00:16:39,827
from airport personnel.
333
00:16:39,916 --> 00:16:42,916
SPRAGUE:
Here you have pilots,
here you have
334
00:16:43,044 --> 00:16:45,714
people working at the airport,
335
00:16:45,796 --> 00:16:48,336
and civilians going to
get on their flights,
336
00:16:48,424 --> 00:16:50,384
all witness a UFO hovering
337
00:16:50,510 --> 00:16:53,430
directly over one of
the gates at the airport.
338
00:16:53,554 --> 00:16:56,184
This UFO was
cylindrical in shape.
339
00:16:56,265 --> 00:16:57,975
It was metallic.
340
00:16:59,227 --> 00:17:01,477
NARRATOR:
Witnesses estimated the object
341
00:17:01,562 --> 00:17:05,942
to be between 16
and 24 feet in diameter.
342
00:17:06,067 --> 00:17:10,357
POPE: Suddenly, this thing
just accelerates vertically,
343
00:17:10,446 --> 00:17:13,816
and punches a hole
through the cloud.
344
00:17:13,908 --> 00:17:16,408
Everyone’s staggered by this.
345
00:17:16,536 --> 00:17:19,116
Now, there is
a meteorological phenomenon
346
00:17:19,247 --> 00:17:21,747
called a "hole punch cloud."
347
00:17:21,874 --> 00:17:24,174
But that doesn’t really
fit with the idea
348
00:17:24,252 --> 00:17:25,712
that there was
this metallic craft
349
00:17:25,795 --> 00:17:28,095
hovering before this happened.
350
00:17:29,257 --> 00:17:31,677
STEVEN GREENSTREET:
A hole punch cloud
is a real phenomena,
351
00:17:31,759 --> 00:17:34,679
but the weather
conditions needed
352
00:17:34,762 --> 00:17:37,012
to produce a hole punch cloud
353
00:17:37,098 --> 00:17:39,978
weren’t there that day.
(chuckles)
354
00:17:40,101 --> 00:17:41,941
They weren’t there that day.
355
00:17:42,019 --> 00:17:44,229
And so that explanation
doesn’t make any sense at all.
356
00:17:44,313 --> 00:17:48,233
WILLIAM HENRY:
The Chicago Tribune,
they end up filing
357
00:17:48,317 --> 00:17:50,187
a Freedom of
Information Act request
358
00:17:50,278 --> 00:17:53,068
with the FAA, and, lo and
behold, they get a recording.
359
00:18:06,544 --> 00:18:09,004
So we have a United
Airlines supervisor
360
00:18:09,130 --> 00:18:13,800
on the phone with the FAA
controller using the word "UFO."
361
00:18:13,884 --> 00:18:15,264
So, once again,
362
00:18:15,344 --> 00:18:17,434
we have a scenario
where the FAA,
363
00:18:17,513 --> 00:18:19,603
and we have United
Airlines personnel,
364
00:18:19,682 --> 00:18:21,852
in this case, saying
there’s nothing to see here,
365
00:18:21,976 --> 00:18:23,596
but, in fact, there was.
366
00:18:24,645 --> 00:18:26,725
NARRATOR: Is it possible
the U.S. government
367
00:18:26,814 --> 00:18:28,904
has been concealing evidence
368
00:18:28,983 --> 00:18:32,073
about UAP sightings
near our airports?
369
00:18:32,153 --> 00:18:34,823
According to UFO researchers,
370
00:18:34,947 --> 00:18:37,407
it would fit
a disturbing pattern
371
00:18:37,491 --> 00:18:40,701
of ignoring what many
believe are serious threats
372
00:18:40,828 --> 00:18:44,538
to the millions of people
who travel the skies every day.
373
00:18:44,665 --> 00:18:48,165
Threats that are
surprisingly well-documented
374
00:18:48,252 --> 00:18:52,212
and sometimes even
caught on tape.
375
00:18:57,345 --> 00:18:59,975
NARRATOR: For decades, civilian
pilots have been frustrated
376
00:19:00,056 --> 00:19:02,716
by the Federal
Aviation Administration’s
377
00:19:02,850 --> 00:19:05,270
refusal to
investigate encounters
378
00:19:05,353 --> 00:19:09,733
between commercial airlines
and unidentified flying objects.
379
00:19:09,857 --> 00:19:13,817
Skeptics argue that these
encounters lack hard data
380
00:19:13,903 --> 00:19:17,913
like telemetry, radar
and audio recordings
381
00:19:18,032 --> 00:19:20,582
that would warrant
an investigation.
382
00:19:21,702 --> 00:19:24,912
But there have, in fact,
been numerous incidents
383
00:19:25,039 --> 00:19:27,749
where viable evidence
has been collected,
384
00:19:27,875 --> 00:19:30,495
including an event
385
00:19:30,586 --> 00:19:32,456
involving two aircraft
travelling over
386
00:19:32,546 --> 00:19:34,966
the state of Arizona.
387
00:19:35,049 --> 00:19:37,179
In 2018, flying over Arizona,
388
00:19:37,259 --> 00:19:40,099
you’ve got a Learjet, you’ve
got an American Airlines jet,
389
00:19:40,221 --> 00:19:43,851
and something
zips over the Learjet,
390
00:19:43,933 --> 00:19:45,353
right over top.
391
00:19:45,434 --> 00:19:47,904
And they immediately call ATC.
392
00:19:53,442 --> 00:19:55,322
GREENSTREET:
Radar tower says,
"We don’t see anything.
393
00:19:55,403 --> 00:19:57,073
We don’t know
what the heck it is."
394
00:19:57,196 --> 00:20:00,566
And so, the radar tower
calls the American Airlines jet
395
00:20:00,658 --> 00:20:02,948
behind that plane, and says
396
00:20:03,077 --> 00:20:04,287
"Hey, look out for a second.
397
00:20:04,412 --> 00:20:05,912
Object should
be coming your way."
398
00:20:14,255 --> 00:20:16,515
NARRATOR: The pilot of
the American Airlines jet
399
00:20:16,590 --> 00:20:19,720
initially responds
requesting clarification.
400
00:20:32,940 --> 00:20:35,400
NARRATOR:
Then, just moments later,
401
00:20:35,484 --> 00:20:38,074
the American Airlines
pilot radios back
402
00:20:38,154 --> 00:20:39,914
to air traffic control.
403
00:21:13,564 --> 00:21:15,324
This incident is significant
404
00:21:15,399 --> 00:21:16,939
because there
are audio recordings
405
00:21:17,026 --> 00:21:18,486
of the whole incident,
406
00:21:18,569 --> 00:21:21,779
and the pilots actually
407
00:21:21,864 --> 00:21:23,824
use the word, "UFO,"
408
00:21:23,908 --> 00:21:25,278
when they’re talking
to the control tower.
409
00:21:28,204 --> 00:21:31,714
NARRATOR:
According to researchers,
the Arizona encounter
410
00:21:31,832 --> 00:21:34,292
was never openly
investigated by the government,
411
00:21:34,376 --> 00:21:38,126
despite the evidence
presented in the recordings
412
00:21:38,214 --> 00:21:41,224
between the two pilots
and air traffic control.
413
00:21:41,342 --> 00:21:43,642
Neither was another incident,
414
00:21:43,719 --> 00:21:47,139
this one so serious,
it required a call
415
00:21:47,223 --> 00:21:50,063
to the U.S. Air Force.
416
00:21:51,644 --> 00:21:53,194
The Oregon coast.
417
00:21:53,270 --> 00:21:56,940
October 25, 2017.
418
00:21:57,024 --> 00:21:59,994
A radar operator
spots a fast-moving
419
00:22:00,069 --> 00:22:04,409
unidentified object in
a busy commercial flight path.
420
00:22:05,658 --> 00:22:07,368
DELGADO:
There were no pilots involved
in that initial reporting.
421
00:22:07,493 --> 00:22:09,753
It was just a tower
controller and a...
422
00:22:09,870 --> 00:22:11,290
and a radar center operator,
423
00:22:11,372 --> 00:22:12,622
and they’re going
back and forth.
424
00:22:13,874 --> 00:22:16,844
NARRATOR: The radar operator
contacts air traffic control
425
00:22:16,919 --> 00:22:19,049
in Seattle, Washington.
426
00:22:35,229 --> 00:22:37,689
GREENSTREET:
The object has no call sign.
427
00:22:37,773 --> 00:22:39,443
It has no transponder.
428
00:22:39,567 --> 00:22:42,527
It’s not communicating.
What is this object?
429
00:22:42,611 --> 00:22:45,611
Pilots in the air start
picking it up visually.
430
00:22:45,739 --> 00:22:48,079
Multiple pilots from
multiple airlines
431
00:22:48,200 --> 00:22:50,790
flying both north
and south up the coast.
432
00:22:51,912 --> 00:22:54,502
And they see this
huge white object
433
00:22:54,582 --> 00:22:58,962
moving extremely fast
at 37,000 feet.
434
00:22:59,086 --> 00:23:02,126
CHILDRESS:
The pilots could
see a white light
435
00:23:02,256 --> 00:23:05,756
that was coming at them
and moving around,
436
00:23:05,885 --> 00:23:10,395
and they reported it
to the control tower
437
00:23:10,472 --> 00:23:12,522
and the pilot said that
it was moving erratically.
438
00:23:20,274 --> 00:23:23,614
GREENSTREET:
This object was a little bit
too close for comfort.
439
00:23:23,694 --> 00:23:26,454
And so they tried
to communicate with it.
440
00:23:26,572 --> 00:23:29,952
All the things that this
object should have given off
441
00:23:30,075 --> 00:23:34,535
if it was an authorized
aircraft, a U.S. aircraft,
442
00:23:34,622 --> 00:23:36,542
a commercial aircraft,
weren’t there.
443
00:23:36,624 --> 00:23:38,754
It was just silent.
444
00:23:38,834 --> 00:23:43,304
And so the military
scrambled two F-15 fighters
445
00:23:43,380 --> 00:23:45,970
to go intercept this thing.
446
00:23:47,635 --> 00:23:50,305
POPE:
Now, you don’t do that lightly.
This is a big call.
447
00:23:50,429 --> 00:23:51,639
This is the sort of thing
448
00:23:51,722 --> 00:23:54,182
that you do on
a 9/11 type event.
449
00:23:54,308 --> 00:23:56,438
So, what happened?
450
00:23:56,518 --> 00:23:58,648
Why did they take
this one so seriously
451
00:23:58,729 --> 00:24:01,019
that a fighter interceptor
452
00:24:01,148 --> 00:24:03,278
was sent up to try
and take a look?
453
00:24:04,443 --> 00:24:06,573
NARRATOR:
The F-15s race
to intercept the UFO,
454
00:24:06,654 --> 00:24:10,074
but this proves more
difficult than expected.
455
00:24:10,157 --> 00:24:13,487
CHILDRESS:
Once the jets were on their way,
456
00:24:13,577 --> 00:24:17,457
this UFO suddenly shot off
in a different direction,
457
00:24:17,539 --> 00:24:20,209
and was very fast,
and was able to make
458
00:24:20,334 --> 00:24:23,844
these quick turns,
and at very high speeds.
459
00:24:25,339 --> 00:24:28,339
GREENSTREET: At one point,
this object changes direction.
460
00:24:28,425 --> 00:24:29,885
It’s flying southbound,
461
00:24:30,010 --> 00:24:33,050
and then turns
and goes northbound.
462
00:24:33,180 --> 00:24:35,140
So, the F-15 fighters,
463
00:24:35,224 --> 00:24:37,644
they go there
and at the last minute,
464
00:24:37,726 --> 00:24:39,306
as best anyone can guess,
465
00:24:39,395 --> 00:24:42,235
turns and zips out
over the Pacific Ocean.
466
00:24:43,357 --> 00:24:44,647
NARRATOR:
Observers are shocked
467
00:24:44,733 --> 00:24:48,203
that F-15s, among
the nation’s fastest
468
00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:50,910
and most sophisticated
fighter jets, are unable
469
00:24:51,031 --> 00:24:54,031
to catch up with
the mysterious object.
470
00:25:09,925 --> 00:25:13,505
GREENSTREET:
What’s great about this
is the audiotapes,
471
00:25:13,595 --> 00:25:16,255
which were released via
the Freedom of Information Act.
472
00:25:16,390 --> 00:25:18,770
When you hear
the process happen,
473
00:25:18,892 --> 00:25:21,062
from initial sighting
474
00:25:21,145 --> 00:25:22,565
to the scrambling
475
00:25:22,646 --> 00:25:23,936
of military jets,
476
00:25:24,064 --> 00:25:26,324
it’s fascinating
to hear that happen.
477
00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:27,860
"What should we do?"
478
00:25:27,943 --> 00:25:30,493
It goes to the Air Force,
it goes to NORAD.
479
00:25:30,571 --> 00:25:34,911
It’s there and seen by
so many, and then it’s gone.
480
00:25:37,077 --> 00:25:39,747
NARRATOR:
These two incidents
are considered
481
00:25:39,872 --> 00:25:42,922
to be among a multitude
of reports where analyzable
482
00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:46,170
data, including radar,
radio transmissions,
483
00:25:46,253 --> 00:25:49,343
telemetry and
eyewitness accounts,
484
00:25:49,423 --> 00:25:51,093
offer compelling evidence
485
00:25:51,175 --> 00:25:53,555
of unidentified
aerial phenomena.
486
00:25:53,635 --> 00:25:56,095
Yet, to the public’s knowledge,
487
00:25:56,180 --> 00:25:58,140
these dangerous encounters
488
00:25:58,265 --> 00:26:01,265
have never been
investigated by the government.
489
00:26:02,269 --> 00:26:04,939
UFO experts believe
the flying public
490
00:26:05,022 --> 00:26:06,772
is at significant risk,
491
00:26:06,899 --> 00:26:10,439
and as evidence,
point to a mysterious case
492
00:26:10,527 --> 00:26:13,527
where a pilot experienced
his worst nightmare
493
00:26:13,614 --> 00:26:15,784
10,000 feet in the air.
494
00:26:21,955 --> 00:26:23,995
NARRATOR:
Zihuatanejo, Mexico.
495
00:26:24,124 --> 00:26:27,544
May 3, 1975.
496
00:26:29,505 --> 00:26:32,515
After dropping off passengers
at this seaport town
497
00:26:32,633 --> 00:26:35,343
on the Pacific Coast,
pilot Carlos de los Santos
498
00:26:35,469 --> 00:26:38,559
embarks on a return trip
to Mexico City
499
00:26:38,639 --> 00:26:41,849
in his Piper PA-24 Comanche.
500
00:26:41,975 --> 00:26:44,435
The weather
conditions are clear,
501
00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:47,270
and visibility is good,
as De los Santos
502
00:26:47,356 --> 00:26:49,606
cruises at 10,000 feet.
503
00:26:49,691 --> 00:26:52,111
One hour into the flight,
504
00:26:52,194 --> 00:26:54,364
he witnesses something unusual.
505
00:26:55,906 --> 00:27:00,536
A gray, wingless object off
the left side of his plane.
506
00:27:01,495 --> 00:27:03,545
DOLAN:
As he approaches Mexico City,
507
00:27:03,664 --> 00:27:06,924
he notices, basically,
a small flying saucer
508
00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:08,080
just above his left wing.
509
00:27:08,168 --> 00:27:09,958
It’s not as large
as his aircraft,
510
00:27:10,045 --> 00:27:12,705
and he’s flying
a fairly small aircraft.
511
00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:14,590
And he’s like, "What is this?"
512
00:27:14,675 --> 00:27:17,475
And then he looks over to his
right and he sees another one.
513
00:27:18,554 --> 00:27:20,104
And then he looks ahead of them,
514
00:27:20,180 --> 00:27:22,270
and there’s one coming at him.
515
00:27:22,349 --> 00:27:23,769
It goes below his aircraft,
516
00:27:23,851 --> 00:27:27,191
and he feels a bump
under his aircraft.
517
00:27:28,188 --> 00:27:30,858
And he’s scared out of his mind.
518
00:27:30,983 --> 00:27:32,403
Anyone would be.
519
00:27:34,194 --> 00:27:36,914
But he then realizes
that he’s not really
520
00:27:37,030 --> 00:27:38,780
in control of his aircraft.
521
00:27:39,867 --> 00:27:42,157
His aircraft is moving in a way
522
00:27:42,244 --> 00:27:44,834
that seems to respond to
these objects, not to him.
523
00:27:47,416 --> 00:27:48,576
He goes to move the yoke,
524
00:27:48,709 --> 00:27:50,879
and the yoke
is moving on itself.
525
00:27:51,003 --> 00:27:53,133
The plane starts climbing
526
00:27:53,213 --> 00:27:54,803
to 3,000 meters.
527
00:27:54,882 --> 00:27:57,552
That’s the ceiling of the Piper.
528
00:27:57,676 --> 00:28:01,176
If it climbs any further,
it will stall out.
529
00:28:01,263 --> 00:28:02,933
He will lose control.
530
00:28:03,056 --> 00:28:04,806
The plane will
fall out of the sky.
531
00:28:06,393 --> 00:28:07,643
DOLAN:
He’s actually becoming afraid
532
00:28:07,728 --> 00:28:09,728
because his cabin’s
not pressurized.
533
00:28:11,231 --> 00:28:12,521
You get to a certain altitude,
534
00:28:12,608 --> 00:28:13,858
he’s gonna have
a hard time breathing.
535
00:28:14,902 --> 00:28:17,402
BIRNES:
The theory is that the UFO
536
00:28:17,487 --> 00:28:19,357
that came under the plane,
537
00:28:19,448 --> 00:28:22,738
took control of his plane,
538
00:28:22,868 --> 00:28:25,828
and the UFO’s own
magnetic envelope
539
00:28:25,913 --> 00:28:29,833
is lifting the plane higher
and higher and higher.
540
00:28:29,917 --> 00:28:34,547
De los Santos is in a panic.
He’s giving Mayday calls.
541
00:28:54,441 --> 00:28:57,071
DOLAN:
He’s telling them,
"There are these
542
00:28:57,152 --> 00:28:59,452
"unidentified objects
at my wingtips,
543
00:28:59,529 --> 00:29:02,409
and below me, and
I don’t know what to do."
544
00:29:02,491 --> 00:29:07,621
NARRATOR:
As the private plane races
towards a mountainous area,
545
00:29:07,746 --> 00:29:10,746
the three UAPs disengage
from Carlos’s plane
546
00:29:10,832 --> 00:29:13,842
and veer off toward
the Mount Popocatépetl volcano
547
00:29:13,961 --> 00:29:16,341
at lightning speed.
548
00:29:16,463 --> 00:29:19,513
As the objects
disappear from sight,
549
00:29:19,633 --> 00:29:22,433
Carlos regains control
of the plane.
550
00:29:22,511 --> 00:29:26,011
But he quickly realizes
his ordeal isn’t over.
551
00:29:27,015 --> 00:29:29,385
DOLAN:
He can’t initiate
his landing gear
552
00:29:29,476 --> 00:29:31,516
because of the impact
that one of these objects
553
00:29:31,645 --> 00:29:33,485
made on his aircraft.
554
00:29:34,481 --> 00:29:36,231
He has to circle around
555
00:29:36,316 --> 00:29:38,566
the airport about ten times.
556
00:29:38,652 --> 00:29:40,652
And he uses a screwdriver
557
00:29:40,779 --> 00:29:43,279
to push the lever
to get his, uh,
558
00:29:43,365 --> 00:29:44,745
landing gear to come down,
559
00:29:44,825 --> 00:29:47,045
and he successfully
lands his aircraft.
560
00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:49,000
It’s kind of
an amazing thing there.
561
00:29:49,079 --> 00:29:50,869
So, he lands his aircraft.
562
00:29:52,874 --> 00:29:54,214
And the story doesn’t end here.
563
00:29:54,334 --> 00:29:55,964
Now he would’ve
had his whole career,
564
00:29:56,044 --> 00:29:57,924
reputation ruined,
probably, with this,
565
00:29:58,005 --> 00:30:01,265
except for the fact that
566
00:30:01,341 --> 00:30:03,891
Mexican air traffic control
tracked these objects also,
567
00:30:04,011 --> 00:30:06,641
and this came
out to support him.
568
00:30:06,722 --> 00:30:09,972
This story became a huge
news story in Mexico.
569
00:30:10,058 --> 00:30:12,598
Didn’t really make much
impact in the United States,
570
00:30:12,686 --> 00:30:15,096
but it was a very big
story in Mexico.
571
00:30:16,189 --> 00:30:17,689
NARRATOR:
Years later, De los Santos
572
00:30:17,774 --> 00:30:20,444
revealed that in the
aftermath of the event,
573
00:30:20,527 --> 00:30:23,527
he was twice approached
by mysterious figures
574
00:30:23,655 --> 00:30:26,615
warning him not to speak
about his experience.
575
00:30:28,201 --> 00:30:30,621
The first occasion
was just before
576
00:30:30,704 --> 00:30:32,124
he was scheduled
to be interviewed
577
00:30:32,205 --> 00:30:34,915
by a Mexican television station.
578
00:30:35,042 --> 00:30:39,052
The second happened when
De los Santos was set to meet
579
00:30:39,129 --> 00:30:43,679
with the famous UFO
investigator, J. Allen Hynek.
580
00:30:43,759 --> 00:30:45,009
Hynek was into the case.
581
00:30:45,093 --> 00:30:46,933
A lot of people
were following this case.
582
00:30:47,054 --> 00:30:50,184
And just before he was going to
meet with Hynek at some hotel,
583
00:30:50,265 --> 00:30:52,385
he gets another
encounter from, um,
584
00:30:52,517 --> 00:30:53,937
one of these men in black,
585
00:30:54,061 --> 00:30:56,351
these tall, pasty,
white-skinned guys
586
00:30:56,438 --> 00:30:59,268
who warned him,
don’t talk about this.
587
00:30:59,399 --> 00:31:00,939
He was threatened.
588
00:31:01,068 --> 00:31:03,278
And he did actually
stop talking about this
589
00:31:03,403 --> 00:31:04,863
for a little while after that.
590
00:31:04,946 --> 00:31:07,656
But as time went by,
he-he’s talked about it.
591
00:31:07,741 --> 00:31:10,831
It’s just one of
the most incredible
592
00:31:10,911 --> 00:31:13,451
aviation UAP stories
that you’re ever gonna hear,
593
00:31:13,580 --> 00:31:15,370
and he got out of it alive.
594
00:31:16,416 --> 00:31:18,126
NARRATOR:
Pilot Carlos de los Santos
595
00:31:18,251 --> 00:31:20,461
ultimately emerged
from his harrowing
596
00:31:20,587 --> 00:31:23,087
midair encounter unscathed,
597
00:31:23,215 --> 00:31:26,135
but similar confrontations
598
00:31:26,259 --> 00:31:27,719
between civilian planes and UFOs
599
00:31:27,803 --> 00:31:30,183
have led to tragic consequences,
600
00:31:30,263 --> 00:31:33,733
including injuries, crashes
601
00:31:33,809 --> 00:31:36,599
and even loss of life.
602
00:31:40,857 --> 00:31:43,147
NARRATOR: The National
UFO Reporting Center,
603
00:31:43,276 --> 00:31:45,446
or NUFORC, has counted
604
00:31:45,529 --> 00:31:47,659
at least 100 cases in the U.S.
605
00:31:47,781 --> 00:31:50,331
where flight safety was impaired
606
00:31:50,450 --> 00:31:54,290
because of close calls with
unidentified aerial phenomena.
607
00:31:54,413 --> 00:31:56,543
And in at least one incident,
608
00:31:56,623 --> 00:31:59,293
it appears a collision
with a UFO
609
00:31:59,376 --> 00:32:02,126
caused fatal results.
610
00:32:10,053 --> 00:32:14,223
Former NYPD pilot and flight
instructor Thomas Preziose
611
00:32:14,307 --> 00:32:17,347
departs from
Mobile Downtown Airport,
612
00:32:17,477 --> 00:32:20,477
piloting a single-engine Cessna
613
00:32:20,605 --> 00:32:24,145
with the call sign
"Night Ship 282."
614
00:32:25,235 --> 00:32:29,825
The story of Night Ship 282
is quite alarming.
615
00:32:29,906 --> 00:32:32,656
A Hollywood script writer
couldn’t come up with this one.
616
00:32:34,369 --> 00:32:38,329
We have a NYPD pilot,
a freight hauler,
617
00:32:38,457 --> 00:32:40,497
very experienced
flight instructor...
618
00:32:42,002 --> 00:32:44,672
...hauling documents
from Mobile, Alabama
619
00:32:44,796 --> 00:32:46,546
up north to Montgomery.
620
00:32:46,673 --> 00:32:48,423
Routine flight.
621
00:32:49,509 --> 00:32:51,139
NARRATOR:
Due to poor visibility,
622
00:32:51,219 --> 00:32:53,849
Preziose was flying
by his instruments.
623
00:32:55,015 --> 00:32:56,525
Just one minute into the flight,
624
00:32:56,600 --> 00:32:59,440
he spotted something
in the distance,
625
00:32:59,519 --> 00:33:02,979
and immediately
radioed air traffic control.
626
00:33:04,149 --> 00:33:06,899
MIKE RICKSECKER:
He saw what looked like
another plane in the sky,
627
00:33:07,027 --> 00:33:08,357
was just confirming that
628
00:33:08,487 --> 00:33:10,737
that was another plane up there.
629
00:33:10,864 --> 00:33:12,574
And then all of a sudden,
he’s alarmed.
630
00:33:12,699 --> 00:33:14,699
He’s panicked.
Something is coming at him.
631
00:33:16,161 --> 00:33:19,411
BIRNES:
This pilot sees
an object in front of him
632
00:33:19,539 --> 00:33:23,039
on a collision course
with his plane.
633
00:33:24,085 --> 00:33:25,545
What does he do?
634
00:33:25,670 --> 00:33:29,550
He radios a request
for permission to deviate.
635
00:33:29,633 --> 00:33:31,883
"I must deviate,
I must deviate,"
636
00:33:32,010 --> 00:33:33,930
he says over the radio.
637
00:33:34,054 --> 00:33:35,474
He deviates.
638
00:33:37,224 --> 00:33:38,394
Silence.
639
00:33:38,475 --> 00:33:41,105
The transmission goes dead.
640
00:33:42,854 --> 00:33:45,194
NARRATOR:
Five minutes after takeoff,
641
00:33:45,273 --> 00:33:49,743
Night Ship 282 crashes
into Big Bateau Bay.
642
00:33:49,861 --> 00:33:54,661
Tragically, Thomas Preziose
is killed on impact.
643
00:33:55,659 --> 00:33:57,409
When investigators
644
00:33:57,536 --> 00:33:59,906
from The National
Transportation Safety Board,
645
00:34:00,038 --> 00:34:03,168
or NTSB, arrive at the scene,
646
00:34:03,250 --> 00:34:05,670
they discover
parts of the Cessna
647
00:34:05,752 --> 00:34:09,262
scattered over an area
of nearly 200 yards.
648
00:34:11,049 --> 00:34:13,089
The plane is not
just demolished,
649
00:34:13,176 --> 00:34:16,596
it’s almost vaporized.
650
00:34:16,680 --> 00:34:19,270
Something obviously
hit the plane.
651
00:34:19,349 --> 00:34:22,099
The props are damaged,
the wings are damaged,
652
00:34:22,185 --> 00:34:25,095
the fuselage is damaged.
653
00:34:25,188 --> 00:34:29,108
Wholesale damage inside
the mechanics of the airplane.
654
00:34:30,235 --> 00:34:33,205
HENRY:
It becomes apparent
he has collided
655
00:34:33,280 --> 00:34:35,620
with something in midair.
656
00:34:37,409 --> 00:34:40,039
NARRATOR:
A midair collision
of such extreme force
657
00:34:40,120 --> 00:34:43,960
would naturally send two
wrecks spiraling to the ground.
658
00:34:44,040 --> 00:34:46,630
But an extensive search
of the area
659
00:34:46,751 --> 00:34:49,051
produced only one aircraft.
660
00:34:50,547 --> 00:34:52,627
DOLAN:
No other wreckage
was ever found.
661
00:34:52,757 --> 00:34:55,177
No other craft which would’ve
662
00:34:55,302 --> 00:34:57,642
presumably done this.
663
00:34:57,721 --> 00:35:00,471
The most bizarre thing about
this is that there are these
664
00:35:00,557 --> 00:35:02,347
strange red markings
665
00:35:02,475 --> 00:35:04,725
all over parts of the aircraft.
666
00:35:05,895 --> 00:35:07,685
These red markings have not
667
00:35:07,814 --> 00:35:09,824
been identified,
as far as I can tell.
668
00:35:09,941 --> 00:35:13,861
And they’re in a variety
of places of the aircraft.
669
00:35:13,987 --> 00:35:16,197
The NTSB suggested
that whatever it hit
670
00:35:16,323 --> 00:35:19,533
was this color red or had
this red coating on it,
671
00:35:19,659 --> 00:35:22,829
and when it hit, it rubbed
off on this guy’s craft.
672
00:35:22,912 --> 00:35:27,002
They also found pieces
of metal in the wings
673
00:35:27,083 --> 00:35:29,543
that didn’t belong to the plane.
674
00:35:29,669 --> 00:35:33,839
Various pieces of metal were
imbedded in the crashed plane
675
00:35:33,923 --> 00:35:36,683
that weren’t part of that plane.
676
00:35:36,760 --> 00:35:39,350
So, something metal,
something red.
677
00:35:39,429 --> 00:35:41,889
But at the end of
the day, a mystery.
678
00:35:43,099 --> 00:35:45,349
GARY HESELTINE:
Clearly, this is one
of the rare occasions
679
00:35:45,435 --> 00:35:48,065
where there was a collision
that obliterated a plane,
680
00:35:48,188 --> 00:35:51,188
killed the pilot, and the FAA,
681
00:35:51,316 --> 00:35:54,736
the aviation authorities and
the investigations that followed
682
00:35:54,861 --> 00:35:56,861
could not explain it,
683
00:35:56,946 --> 00:35:59,026
and to this day,
cannot explain it.
684
00:36:00,200 --> 00:36:02,370
CHILDRESS:
You have to wonder
if this incident,
685
00:36:02,452 --> 00:36:04,542
which caused the death
of the pilot,
686
00:36:04,663 --> 00:36:08,673
wasn’t also some
extraterrestrial incident
687
00:36:08,750 --> 00:36:12,340
where, perhaps, a flying
saucer or other craft
688
00:36:12,420 --> 00:36:13,710
hit this plane,
689
00:36:13,797 --> 00:36:15,877
or the plane itself
hit the craft.
690
00:36:16,007 --> 00:36:18,217
NARRATOR:
For UFO researchers,
691
00:36:18,301 --> 00:36:21,051
the tragic case
of Thomas Preziose
692
00:36:21,137 --> 00:36:22,887
raises the question:
693
00:36:22,972 --> 00:36:26,272
Is it possible that there
have been other fatal collisions
694
00:36:26,393 --> 00:36:29,853
with UFOs that have
gone unreported?
695
00:36:31,022 --> 00:36:34,782
Or happened before the pilot
could radio air traffic control?
696
00:36:34,901 --> 00:36:39,241
As far as ancient astronaut
theorists are concerned,
697
00:36:39,322 --> 00:36:41,912
it is a question
worth investigating
698
00:36:42,033 --> 00:36:45,203
given the number
of highly unusual encounters
699
00:36:45,286 --> 00:36:48,156
pilots have started
sharing with the public.
700
00:36:48,248 --> 00:36:50,248
And while the FAA
701
00:36:50,333 --> 00:36:52,673
continues to
dismiss such reports,
702
00:36:52,752 --> 00:36:55,092
another government agency,
703
00:36:55,213 --> 00:36:57,673
one focused on outer space,
704
00:36:57,757 --> 00:37:01,757
is taking notice of possible
extraterrestrial activity
705
00:37:01,845 --> 00:37:04,105
on Earth.
706
00:37:08,852 --> 00:37:10,392
NARRATOR: In recent years,
more and more pilots
707
00:37:10,478 --> 00:37:11,598
are coming forward
708
00:37:11,730 --> 00:37:14,820
to say that unidentified
aerial phenomena
709
00:37:14,941 --> 00:37:18,191
pose a serious risk
to the flying public.
710
00:37:18,278 --> 00:37:21,318
The Federal Aviation
Administration, however,
711
00:37:21,448 --> 00:37:24,948
continues to
downplay the danger.
712
00:37:25,034 --> 00:37:26,794
DOLAN:
The FAA is
713
00:37:26,870 --> 00:37:28,620
all about flight safety,
714
00:37:28,747 --> 00:37:31,247
and yet, they don’t accept UFO
or UAP reports from civilians.
715
00:37:31,332 --> 00:37:34,092
The FAA is essentially
telling you, civilian,
716
00:37:34,169 --> 00:37:35,629
"I don’t care
what you’ve encountered,
717
00:37:35,712 --> 00:37:37,802
"and we don’t have to
keep statistics on it,
718
00:37:37,881 --> 00:37:39,471
"and we, therefore,
719
00:37:39,591 --> 00:37:42,801
"don’t have to do anything about
this impossible phenomenon,
720
00:37:42,886 --> 00:37:44,506
which we don’t know
what we could do."
721
00:37:44,637 --> 00:37:47,717
The FAA does not want
civilians reporting UFOs
722
00:37:47,807 --> 00:37:51,477
because they don’t want
the public stirring the pot.
723
00:37:51,561 --> 00:37:54,361
This is something
that could, in theory,
724
00:37:54,481 --> 00:37:57,481
become actionable through
FOIA requests, for example.
725
00:37:57,567 --> 00:37:59,487
You can have a civilian
saying, "I’d like to know
726
00:37:59,569 --> 00:38:02,489
how many civilians are
reporting UFOs to the FAA."
727
00:38:02,614 --> 00:38:03,784
And then what do they do?
728
00:38:03,865 --> 00:38:06,165
How many thousands of reports
729
00:38:06,284 --> 00:38:07,704
are they going to be releasing?
730
00:38:07,827 --> 00:38:09,327
They don’t want to
get into that at all.
731
00:38:09,412 --> 00:38:12,002
HENRY:
I think it goes to this idea,
732
00:38:12,123 --> 00:38:13,503
not of air traffic safety,
733
00:38:13,583 --> 00:38:15,883
but not wanting
to alarm the public.
734
00:38:16,961 --> 00:38:18,711
NARRATOR:
But now that the U.S. government
735
00:38:18,838 --> 00:38:20,668
is paying serious attention
736
00:38:20,757 --> 00:38:24,007
to UAP encounters
reported by military pilots,
737
00:38:24,093 --> 00:38:26,973
at least one agency
is ready to listen
738
00:38:27,055 --> 00:38:29,225
to civilian pilots as well,
739
00:38:29,349 --> 00:38:31,679
and to the surprise of many,
740
00:38:31,810 --> 00:38:35,190
it is America’s
top space agency:
741
00:38:35,313 --> 00:38:37,403
NASA.
742
00:38:39,108 --> 00:38:41,188
In October 2022,
743
00:38:41,277 --> 00:38:43,487
NASA assembled a team
744
00:38:43,571 --> 00:38:46,031
of 16 scientists and experts
745
00:38:46,157 --> 00:38:47,867
for a first-of-its-kind
investigation
746
00:38:47,992 --> 00:38:50,662
into unidentified
aerial phenomena.
747
00:38:50,745 --> 00:38:53,035
In order to collect new data,
748
00:38:53,122 --> 00:38:55,672
the space agency also announced
749
00:38:55,750 --> 00:38:57,380
it is taking over management
750
00:38:57,460 --> 00:39:00,050
of the Aviation
Safety Reporting System,
751
00:39:00,171 --> 00:39:01,801
or ASRS,
752
00:39:01,881 --> 00:39:05,221
a public service website
that encourages pilots
753
00:39:05,301 --> 00:39:07,551
to submit anonymous reports
754
00:39:07,679 --> 00:39:10,009
regarding UAP sightings.
755
00:39:10,974 --> 00:39:13,144
NASA has something now called
756
00:39:13,226 --> 00:39:16,146
the Aviation
Safety Reporting System.
757
00:39:16,229 --> 00:39:18,899
And this is a mechanism
758
00:39:18,982 --> 00:39:21,822
whereby pilots can report
759
00:39:21,901 --> 00:39:25,611
UFO sightings anonymously,
if they choose.
760
00:39:25,738 --> 00:39:29,198
And it says on the website,
this is non-punitive.
761
00:39:29,284 --> 00:39:30,794
"We will not
come after you for this.
762
00:39:30,910 --> 00:39:33,660
There’s no comeback,
just make your report."
763
00:39:35,081 --> 00:39:38,081
HENRY:
It suggests to me that there’s
something else out there.
764
00:39:38,209 --> 00:39:39,589
NASA knows about it,
765
00:39:39,669 --> 00:39:41,419
and they want to
know more about it.
766
00:39:41,504 --> 00:39:43,764
And so they are, sort of,
surreptitiously saying,
767
00:39:43,882 --> 00:39:47,432
"We’ll listen to your story now.
768
00:39:47,510 --> 00:39:48,760
"We’re collecting a database now
769
00:39:48,845 --> 00:39:50,765
of what is happening
in our skies,"
770
00:39:50,889 --> 00:39:53,769
and so that is why I think NASA
771
00:39:53,892 --> 00:39:56,232
is ultimately taking
the lead on this.
772
00:39:56,311 --> 00:39:59,901
POPE:
People are saying, why NASA?
773
00:39:59,981 --> 00:40:02,611
Why not the FAA?
Does it perhaps tie in
774
00:40:02,692 --> 00:40:05,782
with the fact that NASA
is now studying UFOs?
775
00:40:05,862 --> 00:40:10,162
Or is it maybe an indication,
an intriguing clue
776
00:40:10,283 --> 00:40:14,083
that a lot of the incidents
of most import
777
00:40:14,162 --> 00:40:17,962
happen in the real
upper atmosphere,
778
00:40:18,041 --> 00:40:20,461
where we are going into space.
I-I don’t know,
779
00:40:20,543 --> 00:40:22,463
but that’s... in a sense,
that’s not the point.
780
00:40:22,587 --> 00:40:26,627
The point is we now have
this receptive environment
781
00:40:26,716 --> 00:40:29,926
into which pilots can finally
782
00:40:30,011 --> 00:40:32,561
speak out about the UFOs
783
00:40:32,639 --> 00:40:37,019
that they are seeing
on a very frequent basis.
784
00:40:38,519 --> 00:40:41,439
NARRATOR:
As far as ancient astronaut
theorists are concerned,
785
00:40:41,522 --> 00:40:44,782
encouraging commercial
pilots to come forward
786
00:40:44,859 --> 00:40:48,279
with their stories may
finally provide critical proof
787
00:40:48,363 --> 00:40:50,783
that civilian aircraft
do, in fact,
788
00:40:50,865 --> 00:40:53,825
encounter UAPs in our skies.
789
00:40:54,994 --> 00:40:58,004
HANKS:
There’s a deep history
of UFO sightings.
790
00:40:58,081 --> 00:41:00,001
And the obvious
threat to aviation
791
00:41:00,083 --> 00:41:02,503
is becoming more
and more prevalent.
792
00:41:04,587 --> 00:41:06,797
We have to start
taking these reports
793
00:41:06,881 --> 00:41:08,511
incredibly seriously because
794
00:41:08,633 --> 00:41:12,183
pilots, crews and passengers
could be at risk.
795
00:41:13,388 --> 00:41:15,178
DELGADO: I challenge anybody
to take anything you have
796
00:41:15,306 --> 00:41:17,676
and put it out there.
Don’t hesitate,
797
00:41:17,809 --> 00:41:19,229
because maybe you’re
gonna open the door
798
00:41:19,352 --> 00:41:22,982
to-to bigger and better
things for mankind.
799
00:41:24,065 --> 00:41:26,735
NARRATOR: As more civilian
pilots come forward
800
00:41:26,859 --> 00:41:30,359
to report their encounters with
unidentified aerial phenomena,
801
00:41:30,446 --> 00:41:33,526
will it be revealed
that such incidents
802
00:41:33,658 --> 00:41:36,908
occur far more often
than we would ever imagine?
803
00:41:37,036 --> 00:41:39,656
And if so, could bringing
804
00:41:39,747 --> 00:41:42,877
these incidents to light
also bring us one step closer
805
00:41:43,001 --> 00:41:45,791
to learning the truth about just
806
00:41:45,878 --> 00:41:47,208
who, or what,
807
00:41:47,296 --> 00:41:49,586
has been occupying our airspace
808
00:41:49,716 --> 00:41:51,546
for thousands of years?
809
00:41:53,511 --> 00:41:55,391
Perhaps one day soon,
810
00:41:55,471 --> 00:41:57,561
the strange craft in our skies
811
00:41:57,640 --> 00:41:59,890
will descend to Earth,
812
00:41:59,976 --> 00:42:03,396
and when they do,
we will know for certain
813
00:42:03,479 --> 00:42:05,689
that we are not alone.
814
00:42:05,773 --> 00:42:08,073
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