On March 25, a routine commercial flight over New York’s LaGuardia Airport turned into a scene straight out of science fiction. Michelle Reyes, a pᴀssenger aboard the plane, captured jaw-dropping footage of what she describes as a “flying cylinder” cruising alongside the aircraft at 30,000 feet. The mysterious object, which defies conventional explanation, has sparked intense debate and intrigue among UFO experts and social media users alike.
The following day, Reyes took to Facebook to share the chilling video, writing, “I saw a UFO coming home yesterday! Can anyone help me identify what this is?!” Her post quickly ignited a firestorm of theories, with some speculating about extraterrestrial visitors and others proposing more earthly explanations. The footage, described as both “intriguing” and “unsettling,” shows a dark, cylindrical object moving in close proximity to the plane, seemingly unfazed by the bustling airspace of one of the nation’s busiest airports.
Speaking to NewsNation on April 24, Reyes recounted the surreal moment: “The first thing I did was email the FAA to let them know what I saw. Maybe it was a safety hazard, but unfortunately, I haven’t heard back from them—they didn’t acknowledge my email.” Adding to the mystery, Reyes revealed she wasn’t the only one who spotted the anomaly. “Another pᴀssenger saw it too,” she said. “It’s a little nerve-wracking that someone else saw what I saw.”
The footage caught the attention of Thomas Wertman, a seasoned investigator with the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) in Ohio. After analyzing the video, Wertman ruled out several conventional possibilities. “This doesn’t look like a helicopter or a drone,” he told the New York Post. “Drones aren’t supposed to fly at that alтιтude, at least not legally, and you wouldn’t expect to see military or law enforcement craft so close to a major commercial flight path. That could be a serious hazard.”
Wertman, who has dedicated years to studying UFO sightings and potential extraterrestrial phenomena, noted the object’s unusual characteristics. “It doesn’t appear to be a commercial aircraft—no wings, no tail, just a smooth, rounded shape that’s highly unusual,” he said. The cylindrical form, combined with its proximity to the plane, makes the sighting particularly compelling. Wertman also confirmed that the footage showed no signs of tampering or digital manipulation, adding credibility to the sighting. “It’s a very intriguing image,” he concluded. “It demands further investigation.”
Despite the excitement, Wertman cautioned that not all possibilities have been exhausted. Without metadata from the video—such as the plane’s exact direction or the precise time of the sighting—he couldn’t entirely rule out high-alтιтude wildlife, like a flock of birds, or a weather balloon. However, the object’s shape and behavior make these explanations less likely. “The rounded, cylindrical form is what stands out,” Wertman explained. “It’s not something you’d mistake for a plane, even from an odd angle.”
The Federal Aviation Administration, when contacted by the New York Post, stated they had “no reports” from pilots about the sighting, deepening the mystery. UNILAD has reached out to the FAA for further comment, but no response has been received at this time.
As the video continues to circulate online, it has fueled both fascination and skepticism. For now, the “flying cylinder” remains an enigma—one that challenges our understanding of what’s possible in the skies above us. Could this be evidence of advanced technology, or is there a simpler explanation waiting to be uncovered? Until more answers emerge, Michelle Reyes’ footage stands as a tantalizing glimpse into the unknown, captured at 30,000 feet.
