A private pilot flying over Rhode Island in the United States had an unusual encounter, reporting a mysterious silver object in the sky. The incident, which occurred in late October 2025, has gained fresh attention after the air traffic control (ATC) recording was shared online, largely due to a light-hearted exchange about aliens.
The Mid-Air Encounter: What Did The Pilot See?
On October 27, 2025, the pilot of a Piper PA-32RT-300T Turbo Lance II aircraft was flying at approximately 3,500 feet near the Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport. The pilot contacted air traffic control to report a strange sighting. He described seeing a small silver cylindrical object that appeared to be standing still in the air with nothing visibly attached to it.
According to the audio recording, the object briefly flew alongside the private jet before vanishing from view. The pilot calmly stated he could not identify it as a known entity like a drone, a weather balloon, or another aircraft. Importantly, he did not report any need for evasive action or a loss of control, indicating the flight continued normally.
Air Traffic Control's Response and the Viral Joke
The air traffic controllers confirmed that no other aircraft or objects were shown on radar in the immediate area. In a moment of informal banter that later captured the internet's imagination, one controller joked, "Good luck with the aliens." The conversation swiftly returned to standard flight communications, with no signs of alarm or emergency procedures being initiated.
The audio clip was later posted online in October by the popular aviation channel VASAviation. It spread rapidly across social media platforms, fueled by the pilot's matter-of-fact description and the controller's offhand humorous remark. This occurred against a backdrop of persistent public curiosity about unidentified aerial phenomena.
Official Stance and Likely Explanations
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has a protocol for such events. The agency records reports of unidentified anomalous phenomena when pilots notify controllers. If available, radar data and other information are shared with relevant government bodies for analysis. In this specific case, no radar confirmation or official finding has been released to the public.
Aviation experts point out that most such sightings eventually get rational explanations. Potential candidates for the Rhode Island object include:
- Weather balloons carrying cylindrical instrument packages, which can appear stationary depending on wind conditions.
- Research drones or atmospheric monitoring devices.
- Visual illusions caused by the perspective and relative motion of the observer.
Authorities stress that these kinds of reports are not uncommon in aviation and are typically resolved without dramatic conclusions. There is no evidence that this unidentified object posed any threat to flight safety or required an emergency response.
