Cathay Pacific Near-Miss Anchorage 2017

On November 17, 2017, crews from Cathay Pacific and American Airlines on separate Pacific routes simultaneously reported a fast-moving unidentified object at 35,000 feet over Alaska to Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center. The object was traveling at a speed the crews estimated far in excess of any commercial or military aircraft, moving toward them before changing course. Anchorage ARTCC confirmed both simultaneous independent reports and issued a PIREP (Pilot Report) noting the encounter. The simultaneous reports from two aircraft at different positions provided strong cross-corroboration. The encounter over Alaska — the busiest transpacific routing in the world — was documented in the FAA Aviation Safety Reporting System. The incident was one of multiple Alaska ARTCC UAP reports in 2017 that contributed to the FAA's subsequent internal review of UAP reporting gaps. The timing — just weeks before the New York Times published its landmark AATIP story — placed this case in the context of the emerging public UAP transparency movement.