O'Hare Airport UFO Sighting

November 7, 2006 — O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois, USA

The Sighting

On November 7, 2006, at approximately 4:15 PM, multiple United Airlines employees at O'Hare International Airport observed a dark grey, metallic, disc-shaped object hovering silently over Gate C17 at the United Airlines terminal. The object was estimated at 6-24 feet in diameter and appeared to be at approximately 1,900 feet altitude, well below the cloud ceiling.

Witnesses

The witnesses included United Airlines ramp workers, mechanics, pilots, and at least one airline manager. Several witnesses independently reported the sighting to the United Airlines operations center. A pilot waiting to taxi out reportedly contacted the control tower about the object. All witnesses consistently described a smooth, dark grey disc that appeared to be rotating slowly.

The Departure

After hovering for approximately five minutes, the object shot upward at tremendous speed, punching a clearly visible hole in the 1,900-foot cloud layer that persisted for several minutes before closing. Multiple witnesses independently reported this distinctive detail — the circular gap in the overcast — providing a form of physical evidence for the object's presence and departure.

FAA Response

The FAA initially denied any knowledge of the sighting. When the Chicago Tribune broke the story in January 2007, the FAA attributed the sighting to a "weather phenomenon" without further explanation. The agency did not investigate. This dismissive response drew criticism, particularly given the security implications of an unidentified object hovering over a major international airport in post-9/11 America.