Statement from Dr. Doug Buettner and the Anonymous Pilot
We are providing this coordinated statement on behalf of both myself (Dr. Doug Buettner) and the anonymous pilot. We have been monitoring the ongoing discussions on this platform and on
Metabunk.org regarding this case. On one hand, we are encouraged by the level of public interest in what has been a genuinely perplexing experience for the pilots and a scientifically intriguing case for Dr. Buettner. On the other hand, we are disappointed and saddened by the number of speculative and, in some instances, defamatory claims concerning both the pilot's decision to submit the photographs and Dr. Buettner's actions in relation to the potential oncoming aircraft.
To clarify: Dr. Buettner did, in fact, inform both pilots that ADS-B data indicated that an oncoming aircraft was roughly consistent with the observed direction, visible down the starboard side. However, there were notable discrepancies between the ADS-B timestamps and GPS data with the imagery recorded during the flight. Both pilots have confirmed that they observed the object closely as it passed; yet neither pilot could discern any visible structure, whatsoever — only the bright main light accompanied by two smaller lights that appeared to not be physically connected to anything.
Dr. Buettner agreed to continue examining the case due to its scientific interest and subsequently sought permission to reference it during a presentation at IFEX. We both feel this case highlights a broader aviation safety issue: pilots routinely observe aerial phenomena that cannot be readily explained, and while some may later be attributed to conventional causes, such as other aircraft, the immediate uncertainty in real time remains a valid operational safety concern. The insistence that "it must have been an oncoming aircraft" may satisfy online debunkers and UFO/UAP naysayers alike, but it does NOT satisfy the professionals in the cockpit when the observation is not in line with their many years of experience after they directly witness such events.
The anonymous pilot wishes to clarify several key observations:
There were no discernable position lights (red or green), no strobe lights (flashing white), and no cabin illumination or visible aircraft structure of any kind. Even if another aircraft's landing lights had somehow remained on or extended during the cruise phase of flight — which is highly irregular — this would not account for the two smaller lights observed around the periphery of the primary bright light. These smaller lights were seen to move in relation to the central bright source rather than remain fixed, as would be expected from navigation or wingtip lights. They could not plausibly be attributed to wing or taxi lights either, as doing so would require an extreme bank angle inconsistent with maintaining level flight, amounting to a serious incident in unto itself.
Continuing with our joint statement:
Dr. Buettner welcomes contact from the pilots of the other aircraft identified on ADS-B to establish whether they were operating without external lighting or if a technical malfunction may have been present. However, in the professional opinion of the anonymous pilot, there is no known aircraft defect that could simultaneously activate landing lights while disabling all navigation, position, strobe, cabin, and logo lights, and at the same time deactivate the transponder so that no TCAS information is displayed.
Further, Dr. Buettner is also considering additional optical modelling using Blender as he has done in the past (see for example:
https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.08155) to determine whether the identified aircraft could produce the observed light configuration through optical reflections off the main body of the reported aircraft and, if so, under what reflection conditions.
Regarding the pilot's anonymity: the decision not to disclose his/her identity is deliberate. The pilot does not wish to bring their airline into disrepute, attract undue attention, or risk professional consequences. There remains a strong taboo in aviation culture surrounding the reporting of unexplained aerial observations, and this stigma discourages open reporting by flight crew who fear and have incurred reputational damage when they have.
As a next step, the anonymous pilot will be gathering comparative images and videos of other aircraft passing at night to demonstrate to the public what a 'typical' night-time encounter normally looks like.
Dr Doug Buettner and the Anonymous Pilot