Saskatchewan – Numerous pilots reported encountering strange lights in the night sky while flying over the Canadian Prairies in the early hours of January 19th. Air crews from Air Canada, Flair Airlines, Morningstar Air Express and other cargo carriers described seeing approximately six odd lights flying in formation at exceptionally high altitudes.
The lights were said to be moving erratically, sometimes arranging in triangular or diamond shapes before shifting positions again. Pilots ruled out the possibility of satellites and noted the peculiar flight patterns and altitudes – estimated to be around 100,000 feet – were highly irregular.
According to audio recordings and a report later filed in the Transport Canada aviation incident database, air traffic controllers were unable to explain the sightings. They stated there was no known military activity in the airspace at the time. The controllers notified the Canadian Air Defence Sector, part of NORAD, which monitors potential aerial threats.
Pilots noted sightings of similarly unexplained formations of lights during Canadian night flights over the past year and a half. The January 19th encounter remains an official mystery. While Transport Canada reviews such incidents, they seldom yield explanations given the elusive nature of the sightings.
Canada and the U.S. have shown escalating interest in studying such phenomena. The Canadian government recently launched a project to investigate unidentified aerial sightings. Meanwhile, Congressional hearings and Pentagon reports south of the border have brought greater attention to UFOs. Just what the pilots spotted over the Prairies may remain unknown, but intrigue surrounds the unsolved case.