Date of Occurrence
May 1, 2024
Commercial Air
Report ID: COM-2024-128
Departing Johannesburg, South Africa in Boeing 737-800, abeam Vaal Dam climbing through FL290.
5 seconds
1 object
While climbing through FL290 departing Johannesburg, South Africa, a commercial airline captain and first officer observed a delta-shaped craft moving directly toward their Boeing 737-800 in clear conditions. The object, described as a perfectly equilateral triangle approximately half the size of their aircraft, passed overhead within an estimated 200 feet at high velocity on an opposite heading. The craft displayed intense white/gold luminosity underneath that faded to metallic coloring, with what appeared to be a field around it giving the impression of atmospheric reentry effects. No traffic alerts were displayed on cockpit systems, no TCAS warnings activated, and ATC reported no radar contact. The primary witness, who describes himself as pragmatic and a non-believer, self-administered a drug test the following morning to rule out hallucinations. This was his first and only UAP experience.