Secret UFO Sighting Dossier Hushed Up Using EU LAW

A database filled with reports of ufo sightings from airline crews is going to be kept away from public eyes.
Airline staff report a number of ufo sightings every year to the Civil Aviation Authority.

Since the MoD closed its UFO desk in 2009, the CAA has become the last British government organisation to retain an interest in UFOs and keep files on incidents involving civilian aircrews. But it has decided not to release a dossier detailing sightings or incidents between 2011 and 2017. Government files of this kind are normally available under the Freedom of Information Act, which allows any member of the public to request files from the government. But the CAA is now using a piece of European legislation from 2014 to block access to its record of “occurences”. It states: “Occurrence information can only be used for the purpose of maintaining or improving aviation safety, and the release of occurrence information to the general public or the media, including in response to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, is not permitted. “However, if you require occurrence information for the purpose of maintaining or improving aviation safety you are able to make an application to the CAA.”

One of the purposes of the legislation is to protect the identity of the pilots.
A Dr. David Clarke of Sheffield Hallam University's department of journalism was shocked when his FOI request was denied.

He told The Sun Online: "These have been collected and logged by the CAA since at least 1976.

"For many years the CAA has released this information under Freedom of Information without any evidence that commercial secrets or safety have been harmed or compromised. "Indeed in 2012 the chief executive of Britain's National Air Traffic Control Services, Richard Deakin, admitted in a BBC Radio 4 interview that his agency received reports of UFOs from civil aircrew somewhere in the world every month.

"But then they seem surprised that curious individuals might want to see details of these incidents using Open Government legislation. "Now they are using a piece of European Regulation to block public access to these records.

The only conceivable reason for this change of policy is embarrassment on the part of the aviation industry. It does not want to admit that its pilots do occasionally report things in the sky that are difficult to explain. "To improve public confidence in air safety, the authorities should be proactively promoting open access to records of this type."

When asked the CAA told the Sun Online the files WERE available, if you could prove you were going to use the information to further improve safety in the sky. The information is not available to the public or journalists.
A spokesman comments:

The Mandatory Occurrence Reporting (MOR) scheme requires individuals and organisations within the aviation industry to report safety occurrences to the CAA, with the intention that these reports are used to constantly improve safety levels. “Information held by the CAA under the MOR system may be made available, for the purpose of improving aviation safety, subject to completing this application form."

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Sad really. I have always enjoyed reading or hearing about Airline Crew/Pilot sightings.
I think they are arguably, some of your best sighting witnesses.

Uuuuugh the Sun. The toilet paper of UK journalism for decades.

Anyway - Dr. David Clarke is a very sceptical individual from the UK. He has however done some sterling work unearthing many documents on the UFO topic and even became unpaid spokesman for the UK MoD's own UFO document releases in recent years.

Seems strange that times have changed. The MoD have been very cagey about recent document releases. Now this.

One thing you might find interesting re:

"For many years the CAA has released this information under Freedom of Information without any evidence that commercial secrets or safety have been harmed or compromised. "Indeed in 2012 the chief executive of Britain's National Air Traffic Control Services, Richard Deakin, admitted in a BBC Radio 4 interview that his agency received reports of UFOs from civil aircrew somewhere in the world every month.

This all hinges on the definition of the word "occurrence" in the bit of law the CAA is relying upon.

I am willing to bet that the meaning is not what the CAA is saying it is, or that (if it is anything like the CAA's version) it probably wouldn't stand up to much scrutiny.

Sheffield Hallam's prof needs to challenge this decision all the way through the FOI tribunal system. If he doesn't, he obviously can't care too much about it.

a reply to: data5091

But the CAA is now using a piece of European legislation from 2014 to block access to its record of “occurences”

Are you sure the CAA is not restricted by it rather than using it?

If I recall correctly it is true that ...

... the release of occurrence information to the general public or the media, including in response to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, is not permitted.

Something about preventing would-be terrorists from using incident reports (or 'occurrences' )to pinpoint vulnerabilities. They want to be sure, that if you want to pinpoint vulnerabilities, you do it to improve the safety. That is not that outrageous of a demand to make.


To me, the fact that they are somewhat open about the recurring ufo reports and about existence of the file(s) contradicts the notion that they are trying to hide it or to 'hush it up'.

Also, I do believe the CAA has responded to FOIA's up until 2014, right? (i.e. up until the law in question took effect).



I think it is very possible that mundane truth is that no one in the CAA wants to risk violating a law for 'something as silly as flying saucers'.

a reply to: data5091

Im not sure why they are trying to use EU legislation since the UK is on the way out. This would what, delay release by 2 years before it reverts back to UK law?

a reply to: Xcathdra

Your guess is as good as anyone else's on that question. Apparently (!) there is going to be some mega-Act going through Parliament to incorporate 40-odd years of EU legislation into English and Scots law. You can bet your belly-button that some of these laws will be gutted before they reach UK statute status.

So this particular EU law (whatever it is, and I bet it's not even a law as such) might or might not end up still being in place in a few years' time, and might or might not have the same effect if it is.

And all this depends on how far you trust the current British Government's ability to see the Brexit negotiations through to anything like a tidy conclusion. My own feeling on that matter is that to judge HMG by its performance so far, we will be extremely lucky if Britain itself hasn't been disassembled and sold to Japan for £1.25 + VAT.

a reply to: data5091

Dr. David Clarke of Sheffield Hallam University has written the biggest pile of crap about British Big Cats I've ever seen. I have no doubt he's a spook. There was an excellent video linking him to other UFO gatekeepers but I haven't been able to find it recently.