SAS Flight 347 Near Miss
On August 15, 1991, the crew of an SAS DC-9 aircraft reported a near-collision with an unknown object over the North Sea. Captain Leif Nesheim described a dark, circular object that passed dangerously close to the aircraft. Danish authorities investigated and confirmed the pilots' report. No explanation was found.
Commercial aviation UFO encounters often go unreported due to professional stigma. The SAS Flight 347 incident was different - the airline and Danish authorities took the pilots’ report seriously, investigated, and acknowledged they could not explain what nearly collided with the aircraft over the North Sea.
August 15, 1991
SAS Flight 347 was a routine flight from Copenhagen to Oslo:
Aircraft: McDonnell Douglas DC-9.
Captain: Leif Nesheim, an experienced pilot.
Location: Over the North Sea, approximately 55 nautical miles west of Denmark.
Altitude: Approximately 35,000 feet.
Time: Daytime.
The Near Miss
The encounter was dramatic and brief:
Initial Sighting: The crew saw an object approaching on what appeared to be a collision course.
The Object: Dark, circular or disc-shaped, solid appearance.
Proximity: It passed extremely close to the aircraft - close enough to alarm the crew.
Evasive Action: The circumstances did not allow time for significant evasive maneuvering.
Duration: The entire encounter lasted only seconds.
What They Saw
Captain Nesheim and his crew described:
Shape: Circular or disc-shaped.
Color: Dark - black or very dark colored.
Size: Substantial - not a small object.
Speed: Moving fast, though specific speed was difficult to estimate.
No Sound: No sound was reported, though at 35,000 feet in a pressurized cabin, external sounds wouldn’t be heard anyway.
Official Response
Unlike many aviation UFO cases, this one received official attention:
SAS Response: The airline took the report seriously and forwarded it to authorities.
Danish Investigation: Danish aviation authorities investigated.
Military Inquiry: Military radar data was checked for correlating targets.
Official Acknowledgment: Authorities acknowledged they could not identify the object.
Investigation Results
The investigation produced no answers:
Radar: No corresponding radar target was identified.
Other Aircraft: No known aircraft were in the area.
Weather Balloon: No weather balloons matched the trajectory.
Military Activity: No military exercises explained the object.
Conclusion: The object remained unidentified.
Captain Nesheim’s Credibility
The witness was highly credible:
Experience: Veteran commercial pilot with extensive flight hours.
Professional Risk: Coming forward risked his reputation.
Consistency: His account remained consistent.
Corroboration: Other crew members supported his report.
No Agenda: He had no apparent reason to fabricate.
Aviation UFO Reports
The case highlighted patterns in aviation encounters:
Underreporting: Pilots often don’t report UFO sightings due to career concerns.
Stigma: Aviation culture discourages such reports.
Safety Implication: Near-misses represent genuine flight safety issues.
Institutional Response: SAS and Danish authorities’ serious response was unusual.
Comparison to Other Cases
The SAS incident shares features with other aviation UFO cases:
JAL Flight 1628: Another commercial aviation encounter with official investigation.
Channel Islands 2007: Pilots observing unidentified objects.
Multiple Pilot Sightings: The pattern of experienced pilots reporting unexplained objects.
The North Sea Location
The North Sea has been the site of other unexplained incidents:
Offshore Platforms: Oil platform workers have reported unusual sightings.
Military Activity: Heavy military presence in the region.
Shipping Traffic: Dense air and sea traffic.
Geographic Interest: Some researchers note concentrations of sightings in the area.
Why It Matters
The SAS Flight 347 case is significant because:
- A major airline acknowledged the incident
- Official investigation was conducted
- Authorities admitted they couldn’t explain it
- The crew were credible professional witnesses
- It demonstrates the reality of aviation UFO encounters
Flight Safety Implications
The near-miss aspect is crucial:
Collision Risk: Whatever it was, it nearly hit a commercial aircraft.
Passenger Safety: Lives could have been at risk.
Air Traffic: Unknown objects in commercial airspace pose dangers.
Reporting Importance: Such incidents should be reported and investigated.
Legacy
The SAS incident represents:
- Rare official acknowledgment of an unexplained aviation encounter
- A case where institutional response matched the seriousness of the event
- Evidence that unexplained objects operate in commercial airspace
- An example of how such cases should be handled
Whatever passed by SAS Flight 347 over the North Sea that day was close enough to alarm experienced professionals and serious enough for official investigation. It remains unexplained.
Sources
- Danish aviation authority investigation
- SAS airline records
- Captain Leif Nesheim testimony
- Contemporary news coverage