BA jet from Heathrow passed by unidentified object, UK Airprox Board report says
The UK Airprox Board has reported that a British Airways Boeing 777 bound for New York was passed by an unidentified silver object, described as the size of four toasters, shortly after leaving Heathrow on 24 June. The Board could not determine what it was.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2The UK Airprox Board, which investigates aircraft proximity incidents, has reported that a British Airways Boeing 777 flying from Heathrow to New York was passed by an unidentified object shortly after take-off on 24 June. MetroLC “The UK Airprox Board, which investigates aircraft proximity incidents” Read at Metro ↗ Daily ExpressR “en route to New York” Read at Daily Express ↗ Mixed · 2The pilot told air traffic control that the object flew in the opposite direction about 50 feet above the aircraft's right wing; Metro puts the time at 12.08pm. MetroLC “in the opposite direction about 50 feet above the plane” Read at Metro ↗ Daily ExpressR “the object passed no more than 50 feet above the aircraft's altitude” Read at Daily Express ↗ Mixed · 2The crew described it as shiny, silver, metallic and reflective, moving very fast, and about the "size of four toasters". MetroLC “size of four toasters” Read at Metro ↗ Daily ExpressR “highly reflective” Read at Daily Express ↗
Mixed · 2The reported altitude was about 5,800 feet in the Express and 6,000 feet in Metro. The Express places the jet over Guildford, Surrey, and Metro places it over farmland about a mile southeast of the village of Burntcommon. Daily ExpressR “ascending through 5,800 feet over Guildford, Surrey” Read at Daily Express ↗ MetroLC “around a mile southeast of the village of Burntcommon” Read at Metro ↗ Mixed · 2The Board could not determine what the object was and classed it as an unknown object. It said providence had played a major part in the incident and/or a definite risk of collision had existed. MetroLC “or unknown object” Read at Metro ↗ Daily ExpressR “The Board considered that providence had played a major part in the incident and/or a definite risk of collision had existed.” Read at Daily Express ↗ Left · 1Metro reports that the plane did not need to take avoiding action and that the Board concluded there was "no risk" of collision, while still giving the event an A-grade, the highest category on the International Civil Aviation Organization's scale, under which such incidents can be catastrophic. MetroLC “have to take any action to avoid the drone”“the highest category on the International Civil Aviation Organization” Read at Metro ↗
Right · 1The Express says the object came within feet of the right wing and that the crew initially feared it was a drone. It reports 256 passengers and crew on board. Daily ExpressR “carrying 256 passengers and crew”“While the crew initially feared the airborne hazard might have been an errant drone” Read at Daily Express ↗ Mixed · 2The flight continued and landed at New York's JFK without injury. Daily ExpressR “touching down at New York's JFK International Airport without injury” Read at Daily Express ↗ MetroLC “arrived at its destination as planned” Read at Metro ↗ Left · 1British Airways told Metro it takes such matters "extremely seriously" and that its pilots report such incidents so authorities can investigate. MetroLC “our pilots report these incidents so authorities can investigate them and take appropriate action” Read at Metro ↗
Mixed · 2The Express, citing the Sun, links the incident to other recent reports of unidentified objects near aircraft in UK skies. Metro adds that nearly 90 UFOs have been logged this year in the UFO Identified database. It also recalls that the Ministry of Defence closed its UFO desk in 2009, and quotes former official Nick Pope as saying most past sightings were misidentifications. Daily ExpressR “another passenger flight was plunged into chaos when an Airbus A320 descending into Heathrow came within yards of an unidentified dark object” Read at Daily Express ↗ MetroLC “Nearly 90 UFOs have been spotted this year, according to the UFO Identified database.”“we found about 80% or so of these sightings were misidentifications” Read at Metro ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left1 outlet
- Framing
- Metro presents the event as a non-emergency close pass reported by safety officials, with a playful 'four toasters' angle and context on UFO sightings.
- Emphasis
- The plane took no avoiding action, the Board found 'no risk', the object had an A-grade rating, BA's statement, and background on UFO history and statistics.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not give passenger numbers or describe the object as passing within feet of the wing.
- Charged language
- “UFO”“zipped past”
Centre0 outlets
No centre outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- The Express treats the incident as a frightening brush with disaster by a mysterious 'UFO', emphasising danger and the Board's inability to identify the object.
- Emphasis
- Narrow escape from a collision, 256 people on board, the Board's 'providence' remark, and other recent UK near-miss reports.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Omits BA's response, that no avoiding action was needed, and the Board's 'no risk' wording reported by Metro.
- Charged language
- “Horror”“came within feet of catastrophe”“chilling”“bizarre”
- For example
-
“came within feet of catastrophe after a mystery airborne object shot past the aircraft” — Daily Express
“Horror as British Airways flight has” — Daily Express
What every side reports
- A British Airways Boeing 777 bound for New York passed an unidentified silver object shortly after leaving Heathrow on 24 June.
- The pilot reported it passed about 50 feet above the right wing.
- The object was described as the size of four toasters.
- The UK Airprox Board could not identify the object and said providence played a major part and/or a definite risk of collision existed.
- The flight landed in New York without injury.
Where accounts differ
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How close and how dangerous the encounter was
- Left
- Metro says no avoiding action was needed and the Board found 'no risk' of collision, though it graded the event A, the highest category.
- Right
- The Express says the jet came 'within feet of catastrophe' and 'within feet of tearing into' its right wing.
-
What the object was
- Left
- Metro's headline calls it a drone, but the text calls it an unidentified object and says the Board classed it as unknown.
- Right
- The Express calls it a 'UFO' or mystery object, noting the crew feared a drone but investigators could not identify it.
-
Altitude of the aircraft
- Left
- Metro: about 6,000ft.
- Right
- Express: 5,800ft.
British Airways organisation
British Airways told Metro it takes such matters extremely seriously and that its pilots report them so authorities can investigate.
“our pilots report these incidents so authorities can investigate them and take appropriate action” — Metro
Left1 article
-
MetroLC ·
BA plane narrowly misses drone ‘the size of four toasters’ after Heathrow take-off
Mixed Lightly toned report that stresses no emergency and no avoiding action, while noting the A-grade risk rating and adding UFO background.
Centre0 articles
No coverage yet.
Right1 article
-
Horror as British Airways flight has ‘near miss’ with ‘UFO’ at 5,800 feet
Alarmist Dramatises the event as a near-catastrophe with a mysterious 'UFO' and links it to other recent sightings.
- 25 Oct 09:46 First Daily ExpressR Horror as British Airways flight has ‘near miss’ with ‘UFO’ at 5,800 feet
- 25 Oct 11:47 +2h 2m MetroLC BA plane narrowly misses drone ‘the size of four toasters’ after Heathrow take-off
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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