Claimed "UFO" filmed from airliner over Turkey, 21st March 2018 [Passing Contrail at 90°]

[TEEJ]

Video description

Just flew over Turkey somewhere over Izmir and Khios Agean sea, heading into Athens around 4.30pm today we'd 21 March 2018. It appears to be flying away at rightangles from our commercial jet and somehow without either of us appearing to turn we end up almost following it.

Looking back on flight tracking software I would suggest that the Qatar Airways flight was QTR211 flying at 35,975 feet.

https://www.radarbox24.com/data/flights/QR211#701234425

The crossing airliner traffic I believe would have been the higher of the two airliners to the north.
TUI Airways/BY2337/TOM41W flying at 34,000 feet.

Playback of airliner identified as "UFO" in the video. QTR211 is aircraft flying right to left in the playback.

https://planefinder.net/flight/TOM41W/time/2018-03-21T16:10#

https://planefinder.net/flight/QTR211/time/2018-03-21T16:10#

https://www.radarbox24.com/data/flights/BY2337#701524702

The airliner following the TUI Airways/BY2337/TOM41W was approximately 4,000 feet lower at 29,975 feet.

A lot of the confusion surrounding this video is the dark coloured contrail. It tends to confuse most viewers who suggest that is either a missile or a military jet fighter.

Contrails depending on the lighting conditions can be varied. This can be seen in the following video. See debunk of that video at following link.


Source: https://vimeo.com/88080046


https://www.metabunk.org/debunked-look-up-org-uks-smokers-video.t3220/

Of note on the "Smokers" video is footage of two examples of crossing airliner traffic similar to what is captured in "UFO/Turkey" video.

See from 06:41 in the "Smokers" video

See from 04:05 in the "Smokers" video. (This airliner is obviously closer/longer contrail)

 

[kasparovitch]

Well, that's clarly an object, but hard to believe it's an UFO.

This can look naïve, but in the 1st minute I'd say that looks like a wing. Not another commercial airplane I hope, but what about a fighter?

Are you sure there's a connection between what you see in the 1st minute and what you see after 1:16? There no continuity between both, at least beyond any doubt.

Maybe pilots had some info about that, but that's hard to get. Also Turkish airspace is subject to tight military surveillance. A strange metallic object would hardly escape, but no one expects any info from military surveillance.

 

[Trailspotter]

The crossing airliner traffic I believe would have been the higher of the two airliners to the north.

I'd go for the lower aircraft. The time was close to local sunset, and the lower plane and her contrail were more likely to be in the earth shadow.

 

[Z.W. Wolf]

The only thing I find at all mysterious is how people can look at an airplane and not see that it's an airplane.

(Wow, I'm dangerously tired of amateur videos that go in and out of focus like that. It's worse than vertical videos.)

 

[Clouds Givemethewillies]

I

I'd go for the lower aircraft. The time was close to local sunset, and the lower plane and her contrail were more likely to be in the earth shadow.

I vote for the 34,000 ft. one on the grounds that the lower one would be about ten degrees below the horizon (back of the head calculation). Also at 30,000 ft. the conditions for contrail formation are likely to less favourable.

 

[Mick West]

Looking back on flight tracking software I would suggest that the Qatar Airways flight was QTR211 flying at 35,975 feet.

Bit of a long shot, but did anyone happen to download the KML ADS-B tracks for this flight and the contenders for the other plane? I want to Sitrec it.

 

[jarlrmai]

@Mick West This may help you a little

Recorded from EZY7154

Encoded date : UTC 2023-02-26 15:10:40
Tagged date : UTC 2023-02-26 15:10:40

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2bdlxkv3td9ule8/PXL_20230226_151004148.mp4?dl=0

RAW file is too big for MB

 

[TEEJ]

Bit of a long shot, but did anyone happen to download the KML ADS-B tracks for this flight and the contenders for the other plane? I want to Sitrec it.

Sorry, Mick. I didn't download it.

 

[Mick West]

Well, worth a shot.

 

[JMartJr]

A nice closer view of the structure of a contrail forming as seen when looking sorta down the length of it can be found here:
Source: https://youtu.be/J6fI9EGSMrw?t=8

Should be teed up to the right time, but the whole thing is worth watching. Note of course that THIS vide is taken from below, and the contrail appears bright rather than dark.


Here's a darker one, shot from above but coming towards the plane where the video under discussion seems to be heading away.
Again, time teed up to the most relevant looking (to me) bit, but again the whole thing is worth watching just for the awesomeness.
Source: https://youtu.be/epa6WxEw1Xk?t=17

In both you can see up close the sort of structure somewhat visible at a distance in the UFO video, particularly around the 4 to 10 second range of that vid.