An audio recording recently posted on an aviation YouTube channel purports to capture a pilot reporting a triangular unidentified flying object (UFO) to air traffic control while flying near Frederick, Maryland on December 20th.
In the recording, the pilot describes seeing a roughly 30-foot tall, flat-bottomed, triangular object moving away from his plane at high speed. He mentions having a photo of the object, which he describes as being about 300 feet away at its closest approach.
The recording has garnered skepticism and debate among viewers, with some suggesting mundane explanations like flocks of birds or weather balloons. Others note the timing near Christmas Eve and joke it could be Santa Claus.
The video comes amid renewed public interest in UFOs following the Pentagon’s release of reports detailing sightings by military pilots. It also coincides with recent UFO-related news stories, like the debunked viral video of an “alien” at a Miami crime scene.
While inconclusive, the audio has brought more attention to the question of whether some UFO sightings could represent vehicles of extraterrestrial origin. Attempts to reach the FAA for comment on the recording were unsuccessful. Unless further evidence emerges, the identity of the triangular object witnessed by the pilot remains a mystery.