Las Vegas McCarran Airport Encounter 2002

On June 24, 2002, the crews of two Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 aircraft on parallel approach paths to Las Vegas McCarran Airport observed a disc-shaped object hovering at 3,500 feet in the arrival corridor — one of the most heavily monitored pieces of airspace in the continental US. Both crews simultaneously reported the object to McCarran ATC, which confirmed a radar return. The object hovered for 8 minutes before disappearing instantaneously. The FAA investigation found no conventional explanation for the object. The simultaneous observation by two independent airline crews at different positions — combined with ATC radar confirmation — made the case particularly strong evidentially. The Las Vegas metropolitan area's proximity to the Nellis Range Complex and Area 51 meant that multiple government agencies with jurisdiction over the region were notified. The case was eventually included in a classified FAA review of UAP in controlled airspace that contributed to the FAA's subsequent update of pilot reporting procedures.