An American Airlines pilot reported seeing a «long, cylindrical object» zoom over the jetliner he was flying to Phoenix in the skies above New Mexico on Sunday. The FBI stated that it is aware of incident, and the Pentagon confirmed that the military was not conducting any tests in the area that day.
«Do you have any targets up here?» one of the pilots of American Flight 2292 asked air traffic controllers, according to a recording of the transmission obtained by CBS News. «We just had something go right over the top of us that—I hate to say this—looked like a long, cylindrical object that almost looked like a cruise-missile type of thing moving really fast that went right over the top of us.»
American Airlines confirmed that the transmission originated from Flight 2292, which was en route from Cincinnati’s airport to Phoenix. The airline directed further inquiries to the FBI, which acknowledged its awareness of the incident.
«While our policy is to neither confirm nor deny investigations, the FBI continuously collaborates with our federal, state, local, and tribal partners to share intelligence and protect the public,» said Frank Fisher, spokesman for the FBI’s field office in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in a statement. «Anyone aware of suspicious or criminal activity should contact their local law enforcement agency or the FBI.»
The Federal Aviation Administration stated that the pilot reported the sighting over New Mexico shortly after noon on Sunday. The agency also mentioned that air traffic controllers did not observe any object in the area on their radar scopes.