2026 · Guildford, Surrey; North Sea off Cromer; danger area D323 off the Yorkshire coast; United Kingdom
Unknown objects pass within feet of a BA airliner and RAF jets (UK Airprox Board, 2026)
Climbing out of Heathrow over Surrey, a Boeing 777 crew sees a small silver object, 'the size of four toasters', flash past the right wing. · Illustration for uaptrail.com
- Three official UK Airprox Board reports from 2026: objects passing within 50-300 ft of a BA airliner and two RAF jets.
- No radar return in any of them, and the Board could not identify the objects; the pilots' own guess of drones or balloons is not demonstrated.
When18 February to 24 June 2026
WhereGuildford, Surrey; North Sea off Cromer; danger area D323 off the Yorkshire coast; United Kingdom
Backing1 independent
Evidenceofficial records
Three 2026 UK Airprox Board reports describe unidentified objects passing within tens of feet of aircraft: a silver object 'the size of four toasters' beside a British Airways B777 climbing out of Heathrow (risk A), a black circular object above an RAF Voyager tanker refuelling Typhoons off Cromer, seen from both aircraft (risk B), and a tyre-sized black object above a Typhoon in a training area off Yorkshire (risk C). Radar showed nothing each time, and the Board could not determine what the objects were. The press picked the reports up on 25 October 2026.
Evidence, in date order (1)
- 2026UK Airprox Boardofficialthree official reports, each finding the object's nature undetermined, with risk grades A, B and C and no radar returns
How plausible · High
Professional aircrew, recorded officially by the UK Airprox Board, report close passes by objects that radar did not see and the Board could not identify; on 18 Feb two aircraft saw the same object.
- ●●Access Aircrew at close range, in good conditions.
- ●●No gain sought Mandatory safety reports, filed without publicity.
- ●●Character record Airline captain and RAF aircrew.
- ●●Independent convergence Voyager crew and a Typhoon pilot saw the same object; three separate reports in four months.
- ●●Restraint The pilots offer drones or balloons themselves.
- ●●Checkable details check out Public Board reports; NATS radar replays and sortie recordings exist.
Plausibility weighs how well an account fits where secrecy hides the documents by design, so missing records never count against it. Strength measures what is documented. Assessed 2026-10-24.
Claims
Airprox 2026127, 24 Jun 2026, 12:08 UTC, 4 NM NE of Guildford at about 5,800 ft: a British Airways B777 out of Heathrow for New York had 'a shiny silver object (likely a mid-size drone)' pass the other way 'very fast and very close to the right wing … at no more than 50ft above aircraft altitude'.firsthandOn the recordBritish Airways captain (unnamed), UK Airprox Board report 2026127
The London controller relayed it as 'probably of silver colour, metallic and reflective', about the 'size of four toasters'.secondhandOn the recordLTCC controller, UK Airprox Board report 2026127
NATS Safety Investigations found 'no radar contacts associated with the drone'. The Board was 'unable to determine the nature of the unknown object' and graded the risk A: 'providence had played a major part … a definite risk of collision had existed'.firsthandOn the recordUK Airprox Board
Airprox 2026012, 18 Feb 2026, 10:15 UTC, 32 NM NNE of Cromer at FL160: an object 'black and circular in nature' passed about 100-150 ft directly above an RAF Voyager tanker refuelling Typhoons, fast and tracking west, so close 'it made them instinctively duck'. One of the Typhoon pilots also saw it and 'agreed with the description, direction and clearance'.firsthandOn the recordRAF Voyager crew and a Typhoon pilot (unnamed), UK Airprox Board report 2026012
The Swanwick Military controller saw 'nothing on their radar'. The Voyager pilot said it was 'impossible to positively identify it was a drone and could have been a balloon or something similar'. The Board could not determine its nature and graded the risk B.Drones over basesfirsthandOn the recordUK Airprox Board
Airprox 2026014, 23 Feb 2026, 15:21 UTC, danger area D323 off the Yorkshire coast at 12,000 ft and 300 kt during air-combat training: an RAF Typhoon pilot saw a 'circular black object (similar in size to a car tyre) pass directly above them', about 300 ft above, in straight and level flight; the pilot rated the collision risk High. The Board could not determine its nature (risk C).Drones over basesfirsthandOn the recordRAF Typhoon pilot (unnamed), UK Airprox Board report 2026014
Where
Guildford, Surrey; North Sea off Cromer; danger area D323 off the Yorkshire coast; United Kingdom
54.0°N 1.5°W · region only
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Sources
- UK Airprox Board, 2026 individual Airprox reports
- UK Airprox Board, consolidated summary sheet, 16 Sep 2026 meeting (2026127)
- UK Airprox Board, consolidated summary sheet, 22 Apr 2026 meeting (2026012, 2026014)
- London Loves Business, 'BA jet's terrifying UFO encounter', 25 Oct 2026
- LBC, 'RAF jets report mystery drones over Britain', Oct 2026