Pilot-spotted UFO reports have increased in recent years, especially as it becomes less career-threatening and more normalized to make such reports.

According to NewsNation, audio was obtained of a pilot's reporting of a UFO in September 2024. He described the object as a "dark, football-sized object," that he claimed at the time flew under the aircraft's wing that he was piloting. 

The audio report of the pilot's alleged encounter was obtained by Ben Hansen, host of the Discovery+ show "UFO Witness."

Interestingly, the object was reportedly captured by the aircraft's radar.

What's going on?

The recording details what the pilot claims they witnessed and what the radar on the aircraft picked up.

The incident reportedly involved a Homeland Security flight which, according to the host, was likely on a drug interdiction mission.

JustThe News noted:

In the recording, the pilot reports seeing a dark, football-sized object pass under the plane’s wing around 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 17, 2024, approximately 60 miles away. The incident, involving a Homeland Security flight, occurred at 20,000 feet and likely involved a drug interdiction mission, Hansen said.

The aircraft involved was a Beechcraft 350 C that was undoubtedly fitted with government tech. Hansen said such aircraft have a "very sensitive and complex radar array."

The outlet added:

Hansen, a former FBI agent, noted the significance of the encounter, especially in controlled airspace and an area in which no air traffic was reported. An air traffic controller later reported the sighting to the National UFO Reporting Center.

Hansen went on to explain that he doesn't believe the object spotted by the pilot was a drone, given its extreme speed, as it reportedly reached Mach 2 in roughly two minutes.

Uptick in discussions

David Grusch sparked a whole new wave of UFO-related conversation when last year he claimed "that the government was operating a secret program dedicated to retrieving crashed UAPs, or unidentified anomalous phenomena, and was in possession of nonhuman craft and biological remains of nonhuman beings," NewsNation noted.

Not surprisingly, the Department of Defense denied the claims at the time.

While hoax UFO videos still dominate the internet, evolving technology and a deeper desire to know the truth is driving a new generation of researchers.

It'll be interesting to see what's revealed during the Trump administration, given that it has promised to be transparent.