Incident · 1992 · Near the island of Elba, off the Italian coast
Britannia Airways 737 near-miss with a 'Mach 3' object off Elba
Also known as Elba near miss 1992, Britannia 737 Mach 3 object, Britannia Airways UFO 1992, Elba missile near miss
In the spring of 1992 the crew of a Britannia Airways Boeing 737-300 reported a near miss near the island of Elba with an object they judged to be travelling at Mach 3. The Civil Aviation Authority thought the description characteristic of a radar-guided missile and offered, through the Department of Transport, to take it up with the Italian authorities if the Ministry of Defence agreed.
The MoD's UFO desk received the letter in error and sent it on to Defence Intelligence's plans staff, keeping a copy for DI55 because of its likeness to the Alitalia case of April 1991. The pilots' report itself and any answer are not in the file, so the date of the encounter and what, if anything, was done about it are unknown.
Source: MoD file DEFE 31/181, pp. 351–352 (The National Archives, opened March 2009)
Facts and claims
- documented A letter of 1 May 1992 from the Department of Transport's Aviation and Maritime Department to the MoD, headed “BRITANNIA AIRLINES”, says: “The CAA have copied to me the attached papers, which concern a reported near miss between a Britannia B737 300 and an object travelling at Mach 3, near Elba, off the Italian coast.” It continues: “The CAA believe that this may be characteristic of a radar guided missile. They have not taken any action but would be prepared to contact the Italian civil aviation authorities if MOD believe the object was indeed likely to have been a missile, and if they consider such action would be appropriate. As far as I can determine, Britannia have taken no action beyond informing the CAA.” (DEFE 31/181, p. 352) Source: defe-31-181.pdf
- documented The letter reached the UFO desk by mistake: a compliments slip from Sec(AS)2a to DI55 says it was forwarded to DIS(Plans), “but thought you'd appreciate a copy, re Alitalia et al.”, a reference to the Alitalia crew's report of a missile-like object over Kent a year earlier; the CAA's attached papers are not in the file, and no reply is recorded (p. 351). Source: defe-31-181.pdf
Connected files
Documents
- MoD file DEFE 31/181: Defence Intelligence (DI55) UFO papers, February 1992 – April 1993 (subject of) — Pages 351–352: the Department of Transport's letter of 1 May 1992 and the desk's note to DI55
Incidents
- Alitalia MD-80 encounter with an unidentified “missile” near Lydd, Kent (similar to) — The UFO desk copied the letter to DI55 “re Alitalia et al.”: the Alitalia crew had reported a missile-like object over Kent a year earlier
Organizations
- Ministry of Defence (UK) (reported to) — Passed by the Department of Transport on 1 May 1992, with the CAA's papers, for the MoD to consider whether the object was a missile
Mentioned in this file
- Boeing (Organization)
- National Archives and Records Administration (Organization)