The Chicago O’Hare Airport UFO

On November 7, 2006, multiple United Airlines employees at O’Hare International Airport observed a dark, metallic disc hovering below the cloud layer over Gate C17. The object remained stationary for several minutes before shooting straight up, creating a visible hole in the overcast sky.

The Sighting

At approximately 4:15 PM CST, a United Airlines ramp employee noticed an unusual object hovering above Gate C17 at the United Airlines terminal. He alerted colleagues, and soon a group of employees—pilots, mechanics, and supervisors—gathered to observe the phenomenon.

The object was described as a dark grey or metallic disc, approximately 6 to 24 feet in diameter, stationary and hovering below the 1,900-foot cloud ceiling. It was silent with sharply defined, solid edges.

The object remained visible for approximately two to five minutes before departing.

The Departure

Witnesses reported that the object accelerated directly upward at tremendous speed. As it penetrated the cloud layer, it created a clearly visible hole in the overcast sky—a circular break in the clouds that remained visible for several minutes before closing.

This physical effect on the clouds represents unusual potential evidence of the object’s physical reality.

The Witnesses

The sighting involved credentialed aviation professionals including United Airlines ramp workers and mechanics, supervisors, at least one pilot in a cockpit at Gate C17, and multiple independent observers across the terminal.

FAA Response

Freedom of Information Act requests revealed the FAA had received a call about the sighting but chose not to investigate, attributing it to “weather phenomena.”

Legacy

The O’Hare incident is considered one of the most credible UFO reports of the 21st century due to trained observers, multiple witnesses, potential physical evidence (the cloud hole), and documented official response.