In a stunning revelation that has sent shockwaves through aviation and UFO research communities, a leaked audio recording has surfaced, capturing a US Air Force pilot’s jaw-dropping encounter with a mysterious, football-sized cylindrical object that narrowly missed his jet in mid-flight. The incident, which occurred on September 17, 2024, over the clear skies of California, has reignited debates about unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) and their implications for national security.

The pilot, identified only as “Troy 21,” was navigating a Beechcraft 350 C at 20,000 feet in controlled airspace during a classified military-related mission involving the Department of Homeland Security. At approximately 2:30 p.m., the seasoned aviator’s routine flight took a surreal turn. “This is going to sound weird,” he radioed to a Los Angeles air traffic controller, his voice tinged with disbelief. “But I just had something pᴀss underneath my wing. Maybe a football-sized object right under my wing.”

The object, described as a dark gray, cylindrical shape with no visible means of propulsion, reportedly zoomed within 10 feet of the jet’s right wing—a proximity that could have spelled disaster. The pilot’s immediate reaction was to alert his sensor operator, who began scouring the skies with the jet’s camera system to locate the mysterious intruder. “We’ll see if we can find it,” Troy 21 reported, as the crew grappled with the surreal encounter.

Moments later, the situation grew even stranger. Roughly one minute after the initial sighting, the pilot reported detecting an object on the aircraft’s air-to-air radar. Forty seconds after that, another object appeared on radar—60 miles away. If this was the same object, experts estimate it would have been traveling at a staggering Mach 2, exceeding 1,500 miles per hour, to cover such a distance in so little time. The sheer speed and maneuverability defy conventional explanations, leaving experts puzzled.

Air traffic control, equally stunned, questioned whether the object could have been a drone. “I’m not sure,” Troy 21 responded, noting that while some military and hobbyist drones can reach such alтιтudes, they are rare and unlikely to match the object’s description or behavior. A controller later remarked, “There was a UFO reported here, but that’s all taken care of now,” a cryptic statement that only deepened the mystery.

The incident bears eerie similarities to another high-profile sighting by former NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao, who reported a chilling encounter with two metallic, cylindrical orbs while piloting his personal plane over the Texas panhandle in the summer of 2024. Chiao, a veteran of three space missions, described the objects pᴀssing just 10 feet beneath his wings, moving without any apparent propulsion. “They came right at me,” he told The Post, emphasizing the objects’ otherworldly nature. Reflecting on his experience, Chiao speculated whether they could belong to a clandestine military program but questioned why such technology would be tested in civilian airspace.

The California encounter, first reported by NewsNation’s Banfield after obtaining the leaked audio, was significant enough for one air traffic controller to file a report with the National UFO Reporting Center. The event echoes a 2023 Pentagon disclosure of a small cylindrical object captured on radar in controlled Iraqi airspace, further fueling speculation about advanced technology—whether terrestrial or otherwise.

As the leaked audio circulates, it has sparked intense debate. Was this a secret military project, a sophisticated drone, or something beyond our current understanding? The pilot’s stunned exclamation, “It’s right here!” encapsulates the shock and urgency of the moment, leaving the public and experts alike grappling with more questions than answers. For now, the skies above California hold secrets that challenge our perception of what’s possible.