British Airways Boeing 777 Avoids Mid-Air Crash With Mysterious Object the 'Size of Four Toasters'

A Boeing 777, identified in media reports as a British Airways aircraft, encountered an unidentified silver object above Surrey on 24 June 2026. The pilot reported that it passed just 50ft above the jet during its departure from Heathrow. Aviation investigators later classified the encounter as a serious collision risk.

The incident happened at 12.08pm UTC, approximately four nautical miles north-east of Guildford. According to the UK Airprox Board, the aircraft was climbing towards 6,000ft when the pilot spotted something approaching near the right wing.

The Board reviewed the encounter on 16 September under case 2026127. Its Category A rating means investigators assessed that a serious risk of collision had existed. What caused that danger remains unanswered.

What the Pilot Saw in the British Airways Boeing 777 Near Miss

The Boeing 777 was passing through 5,800ft when the pilot noticed a shiny silver object travelling rapidly in the opposite direction. They initially thought it was probably a medium-sized drone, although the sighting was brief.

The pilot estimated that the object crossed no more than 50ft above the aircraft's altitude. The official report does not give a horizontal separation, meaning 50ft should not be presented as the confirmed closest distance between the two.

There was no precise measurement of the object's size. Asked for an estimate by air traffic control, the pilot gave an unexpectedly domestic comparison, saying it was about the 'size of four toasters'.

A London Terminal Control Centre controller recorded that the pilot described something metallic and reflective moving very fast. The pilot also reported that a drone had passed over the right wing, but that was an initial identification rather than an established finding.

The crew's account conveys why the encounter drew attention. The object appeared during the climb from Heathrow, one of Britain's busiest airports, while the aircraft was still gaining height.

The official summary contains no independent photograph establishing the object's shape or dimensions. Nor does it identify the airline, flight number, passenger total or destination. GB News identified the aircraft as British Airways and described a New York-bound journey, details not independently confirmed in the Airprox record.

Why the British Airways UFO Sighting Remains Unexplained

NATS Safety Investigations reviewed radar information from the time of the pilot's report. No radar contact corresponding to the suspected drone was visible, according to the Board's published account.

That does not invalidate the pilot's observation. It does mean investigators lacked radar evidence to corroborate the object's reported presence, location or movement.

The Board said the altitude and description were insufficient to determine what the unknown object actually was. It recorded the object as unidentified, not as a confirmed drone. Equally, the term UFO does not imply an extraterrestrial origin.

Had the object been a drone, its reported altitude would have raised questions about the operator and authorisation. The Civil Aviation Authority generally limits routine open-category drone flights to 120 metres, or 400ft, above the nearest ground surface. Flying beyond that framework requires appropriate authorisation.

There is no evidence in the Airprox findings identifying a drone operator or establishing a breach of aviation rules. The incident's confirmed importance lies instead in the assessed danger to the aircraft.

Under the Board's risk definitions, Category A is reserved for encounters involving a serious collision risk. Its assessment was that chance had played a major part and/or a definite risk of collision existed. It did not conclude that a crash was inevitable.

The Board also reviewed a separate report from 21 June involving an Airbus A320 departing Heathrow near Kensal Town. Its pilot reported a large unidentified object a few hundred feet below the aircraft, travelling west.

That earlier encounter received a Category D rating because the available information was insufficient to assess collision risk. Both objects remained unidentified, but investigators did not assign them the same level of danger. There is no established connection between the sightings.