Glasgow approach airprox (Airprox 2012166)
- Date
- 2 Dec 2012
- Place
- About 11 nm east of Glasgow airport, Scotland, United Kingdom
- Record
- Curated case
- Assessment
- Unexplained
- Evidence strength
What was reported
At 12:56 UTC on 2 December 2012 both pilots of an Airbus A320 descending through 4,000 ft toward Glasgow saw an object 'loom ahead' at about 100 m and pass some 300 ft directly beneath before they could react; they described it as blue and yellow or silver, with a small frontal area, and 'bigger than a balloon', and rated the collision risk high. The controller had no other traffic and nothing showed on radar, and no surveillance source traced any matching activity. The UK Airprox Board, in report 2012166, could not identify a likely candidate and found insufficient information to determine cause or risk.
What officials concluded
Unresolved
UK Airprox Board report 2012166: insufficient information to determine cause or risk
Strongest ordinary reading
none established
Evidence profile
- Yes: Visual
- No: Infrared
- No: Radar
- No: Video
- No: Photo
- No: Film
- No: Audio
- No: Night vision
- No: Other sensor
- No: Civilian
- No: Military aircrew
- No: Military ground
- Yes: Airline crew
- No: Sensor operator
- No: Law enforcement
- No: Scientist
- No: Astronaut
- No: Intelligence official
- No: Other
- No: Light only
- No: Orb or sphere
- No: Disc
- No: Triangle
- No: Cylinder
- No: Cube
- No: Other shape
- No: Physiological
- No: Physical trace
- No: Electromagnetic
- No: Sound
- No: Silent
Outside sources
- UK Airprox Board: report 2012166airproxboard.org.uk
On the map
55.85° N, 4.10° W, plotted at the site
Show on the map