Within Pilot Reports
Why Official Reports Still Leave Questions
CADORS records can make pilot UFO reports traceable, but they are aviation safety notes rather than finished investigations.
On this page
- What CADORS is built to record
- How pilot and controller reports enter the system
- Why a category is not a conclusion
Page outline Jump by section
Introduction
For readers following pilot UFO reports over Saskatchewan and the wider Canadian Prairies, one of the most important facts is that many sightings become visible to the public not because they were solved, but because they entered Canada’s aviation safety system. The Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS) is the main public database that records aviation occurrences considered relevant to safety. When airline crews, air traffic controllers or other aviation personnel report unusual lights or objects, those reports can be entered into CADORS and preserved as official records. However, a CADORS entry is not the same thing as an investigation report or a final conclusion. It is primarily a safety record intended to alert authorities and document what was observed. [Transport Canada]tc.canada.cacivil aviation daily occurrence reporting system cadorsThat information is provided in an aviation…Read more…
This distinction matters for Saskatchewan UFO history. Some of the province’s most widely discussed recent aerial sightings are known largely because CADORS created a traceable paper trail. The database helps researchers, journalists and the public see what was reported, when it was reported, and how aviation authorities initially classified the event. What it usually does not provide is a definitive explanation. [Transport Canada]tc.canada.cacivil aviation daily occurrence reporting system cadorsThat information is provided in an aviation…Read more…
What CADORS Is Built to Record
CADORS was created as a national aviation occurrence reporting system. Its purpose is to collect operational safety information from across Canada’s civil aviation network so that hazards, trends and system weaknesses can be identified early. The system is not dedicated to UFOs, unexplained phenomena or intelligence investigations. It covers a wide range of aviation events, from equipment failures and runway incursions to unusual airborne observations. [Skybrary]skybrary.aeroCivil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS)CADORS is the name given to the Canadian national ATS safety data report…
Transport Canada explains that the majority of CADORS information originates with NAV CANADA, the organisation responsible for civilian air traffic services. Additional information can come from aircraft operators, police agencies, the Transportation Safety Board and other government bodies. A CADORS entry is therefore often the first administrative record generated after an aviation-related event is reported. [Transport Canada]tc.canada.cacivil aviation daily occurrence reporting system cadorsThat information is provided in an aviation…Read more…
For UFO researchers, this creates an unusual situation. A sighting that might otherwise remain a private cockpit observation can become a publicly searchable government record simply because it was considered relevant to aviation operations. The database preserves the existence of the report even when no final explanation is ever released. [Transport Canada]tc.canada.cacivil aviation daily occurrence reporting system cadorsThat information is provided in an aviation…Read more…
How Pilot and Controller Reports Enter the System
The path from sighting to official record is usually straightforward.
A flight crew may observe unusual lights, an unidentified object, a suspected drone, a balloon, or another aerial phenomenon. If the crew believes the observation could affect safety or situational awareness, they can report it through normal aviation communication channels. Air traffic controllers may record the information in an Aviation Occurrence Report, and that information can then be used to create a CADORS entry. NAV CANADA supplies roughly 80 per cent of the information that becomes CADORS records. [Transport Canada]tc.canada.cacivil aviation daily occurrence reporting system cadorsThat information is provided in an aviation…Read more…
The resulting record typically includes:
- Date and time of the occurrence.
- Approximate location.
- Aircraft involved.
- Narrative summary of what was reported.
- Agencies notified.
- Preliminary occurrence category. [Transport Canada]tc.canada.cacivil aviation daily occurrence reporting system cadorsThat information is provided in an aviation…Read more…
This process explains why some prairie sightings become unusually well documented. A report from a commercial airliner crossing Saskatchewan may include flight routes, aircraft types and controller communications that are absent from many ground-based UFO accounts. The information exists because aviation personnel are required to document operationally significant events, not because investigators have determined what the object was. [Transport Canada]tc.canada.caTransport CanadaEXEMPTION FROM STANDARDS SPECIFIED IN THE…31 Jan 2009 — Section 807.01 stipulates that the holder of an ATS operations…
The January 2024 sighting over southern Saskatchewan illustrates the process. Airline crews reported multiple lights that were sometimes seen in a triangular arrangement. The event entered CADORS, creating an official public record and noting that Canadian air defence authorities had been informed. The entry documented the observation but did not establish the identity of the lights. [Anadolu Ajansı]aa.com.trcanada ufo sightings include reports from airline crewsThe skies above Canada were fertile ground for what could be UFOs with at least 17…Read more…
Why a Category Is Not a Conclusion
One of the most common misunderstandings about CADORS is the assumption that a classification proves what happened.
Transport Canada has repeatedly emphasised that CADORS entries are preliminary occurrence reports. They are intended to capture information quickly, often before detailed analysis has occurred. A category or keyword exists primarily to organise records and support safety monitoring. It should not be treated as a final investigative finding. [Open Government Portal]search.open.canada.caOpen Government PortalQuestion Period Note: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP)Transport Canada (TC) manages the Civil Aviation Daily Occ…
This point is especially important for records labelled with terms such as “UFO” or similar occurrence codes. Transport Canada notes that a UFO designation can encompass many ordinary possibilities, including drones, balloons, meteors, weather phenomena and birds. The label merely indicates that the object had not been identified at the time of reporting. It does not imply extraterrestrial origin or even long-term mystery status. [Transport Canada]tc.canada.caTransport Canada4High Altitude Object Incidents - Transports Canada11 Aug 2023 — In the Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS), the ter…
In practice, a CADORS entry answers one question very well: Was something reported? It answers other questions far less effectively:
- What exactly was observed?
- Was it confirmed on radar?
- Did military authorities identify it?
- Was an astronomical explanation considered?
- Did later evidence resolve the case?
Those answers may exist elsewhere, or they may never become public. [Transport Canada]tc.canada.cacivil aviation daily occurrence reporting system cadorsThat information is provided in an aviation…Read more…
Why CADORS Matters in Saskatchewan UFO History
Saskatchewan’s role in Canadian UFO history is shaped partly by geography. The province lies beneath major commercial air routes that connect western and eastern Canada. As a result, unusual aerial observations are sometimes witnessed by professional flight crews rather than only by people on the ground.
CADORS gives these reports a level of transparency that many historical UFO cases lack. Researchers can often identify the date, region, aircraft involved and initial description. That makes later analysis possible, whether the goal is to support the original observation or to test conventional explanations. [Skybrary]skybrary.aeroCivil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS)CADORS is the name given to the Canadian national ATS safety data report…
At the same time, CADORS records remind readers to be cautious. The presence of an official government record does not automatically strengthen a UFO claim. It confirms that aviation personnel considered an observation worth reporting. The underlying phenomenon may remain unresolved, may later receive a conventional explanation, or may simply lack enough evidence for a firm conclusion. [Transport Canada+2Science.gc.ca]tc.canada.caTransport Canada4High Altitude Object Incidents - Transports Canada11 Aug 2023 — In the Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS), the ter…
Why Official Reports Still Leave Questions
The value of CADORS is not that it proves extraordinary events. Its value is that it creates a documented chain of reporting. For Saskatchewan and the Canadian Prairies, that chain allows unusual pilot sightings to move from rumour into the historical record.
Yet the same system also imposes limits. CADORS is a safety database, not a dedicated investigative programme. It records observations rapidly, preserves operational details and alerts relevant authorities, but it often stops short of delivering a publicly available final answer. That is why a CADORS report can be one of the strongest pieces of evidence that a sighting occurred, while still leaving the central mystery unresolved. [Transport Canada+2Skybrary]tc.canada.cacivil aviation daily occurrence reporting system cadorsThat information is provided in an aviation…Read more…
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Further Reading
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The UFO Experience
Explains reporting categories and why classifications are not equivalent to final explanations.
The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects
Focuses on investigation processes, reporting practices, and the limits of official conclusions.
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Provides context on how official reporting systems preserve sightings without necessarily resolving them.
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Endnotes
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Source: tc.canada.ca
Title: civil aviation daily occurrence reporting system cadors
Link: https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/publications/aviation-safety-letter/issue-2-2021/civil-aviation-daily-occurrence-reporting-system-cadorsSource snippet
That information is provided in an aviation...Read more...
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Source: skybrary.aero
Link: https://skybrary.aero/articles/civil-aviation-daily-occurrence-reporting-system-cadorsSource snippet
Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS)CADORS is the name given to the Canadian national ATS safety data report...
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Source: search.open.canada.ca
Link: https://search.open.canada.ca/qpnotes/record/tc%2CTC-2022-QP-00005Source snippet
Open Government PortalQuestion Period Note: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP)Transport Canada (TC) manages the Civil Aviation Daily Occ...
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Source: tc.canada.ca
Title: civil aviation daily occurrence reporting system cadors manual tp 4044
Link: https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/aviation-publications/civil-aviation-daily-occurrence-reporting-system-cadors-manual-tp-4044Source snippet
Transport CanadaCivil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS...5 Sept 2025 — The purpose of the CADORS Manual is to outline...
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Source: tc.canada.ca
Link: https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/reference-centre/exemptions-canadian-aviation-regulations-cars/exemption-standards-specified-cadors-manual-made-pursuant-section-80701-canadian-aviation-regulationsSource snippet
Transport CanadaEXEMPTION FROM STANDARDS SPECIFIED IN THE...31 Jan 2009 — Section 807.01 stipulates that the holder of an ATS operations...
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Source: tc.canada.ca
Title: Transport Canada4
Link: https://tc.canada.ca/en/binder/4-high-altitude-object-incidentsSource snippet
High Altitude Object Incidents - Transports Canada11 Aug 2023 — In the Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS), the ter...
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Source: science.gc.ca
Link: https://science.gc.ca/site/science/en/office-chief-science-advisor/[sky-canadaSource snippet
Management of Public Reporting of Unidentified Aerial...Until recently, the term “UFO” was used to describe aerial phenomena that could...
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Source: science.gc.ca
Link: https://science.gc.ca/site/science/sites/default/files/documents/sky-canada-report.pdfSource snippet
Management of Public Reporting of Unidentified Aerial...28 Jun 2025 — Until recently, the term “UFO” was used to describe aerial phenome...
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Source: ised-isde.canada.ca
Link: https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/science/en/office-chief-science-advisor/sky-canada-project/preview-sky-canada-report-ocsaSource snippet
canada.caPreview: Sky Canada Report from the Office of the Chief...15 Jan 2025 — Management of public reporting of Unidentified Aerial P...
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Source: tc.canada.ca
Title: report incident affecting airport aerodrome safety
Link: https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/operating-airports-aerodromes/report-incident-affecting-airport-aerodrome-safetySource snippet
To search for national or regional reports, or to...Read more...
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Source: time.com
Title: When asked whether these objects could be aliens, Gen.Read more
Link: https://time.com/6254917/us-canada-unidentified-objects/Source snippet
What We Know About the 'Unidentified Objects' Shot Down...13 Feb 2023 — They were spotted at lower altitudes, where they could pose a ri...
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Source: aa.com.tr
Title: canada ufo sightings include reports from airline crews
Link: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/canada-ufo-sightings-include-reports-from-airline-crews/3120051Source snippet
The skies above Canada were fertile ground for what could be UFOs with at least 17...Read more...
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Source: books.google.com
Link: https://books.google.com/books/about/CADORS.html?id=0HALHQAACAAJSource snippet
google.comCADORS: Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting SystemTitle, CADORS: Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System. Author...
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Source: policycommons.net
Title: Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM)
Link: https://policycommons.net/artifacts/19542279/aeronautical-information-manual/Source snippet
Canada - 2025-1...27 Feb 2025 — The manual includes updates and changes related to meteorology, air traffic procedures, North Atlantic o...
Additional References
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Source: bst.gc.ca
Link: https://www.bst.gc.ca/eng/incidents-occurrence/aviation/index.htmlSource snippet
Report an air transportation occurrenceReport the occurrence as soon as possible by the quickest means available. Call direct 819-994-374...
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Source: laws-lois.justice.gc.ca
Link: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-96-433/page-111.html/page-33.htmlSource snippet
Aviation Regulations (SOR /96-433)807.01 The holder of an ATS operations certificate shall report to the Minister any aviation occurrenc...
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Source: nunatsiaq.com
Title: pilots report ufo sighting over nunavuts northern baffin island
Link: https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/pilots-report-ufo-sighting-over-nunavuts-northern-baffin-island/Source snippet
Pilots report UFO sighting over Nunavut's northern Baffin...27 Nov 2018 — “The continued reporting of UFOs by the public and the yearly...
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Source: icao.int
Title: 5.2 08 Annex A CADORS Reportable Occurences for CANADA
Link: https://www.icao.int/sites/default/files/SMI/TrainingDocs/Chapter%205%20Safety%20Data%20Collection%20and%20Processing%20Systems/5.2-08-Annex-A-CADORS-Reportable-Occurences-for-CANADA.pdfSource snippet
# $ CADORS MANUAL TP 4044Any occurrence which deviates from normal operating procedures, may generate a high degree of public interest/co...
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Source: globalnews.ca
Title: ufo data collection spy balloons misinformation
Link: https://globalnews.ca/news/11293838/ufo-data-collection-spy-balloons-misinformation/Source snippet
UFO data collection, analysis by feds could dispel...18 Jul 2025 — The report notes Transport Canada currently maintains the Civil Aviat...
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Source: vice.com
Title: air canada westjet porter pilots ufo sightings
Link: https://www.vice.com/en/article/air-canada-westjet-porter-pilots-ufo-sightings/Source snippet
Commercial Airline Pilots Keep Reporting UFOs Over...21 Apr 2021 — By combing through thousands of reports in a government flight incide...
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Source: syfy.com
Title: unidentified aerial phenomena ufos in canada
Link: https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/unidentified-aerial-phenomena-ufos-in-canadaSource snippet
Unidentified aerial phenomena have been tracked in...23 Apr 2021 — We're not saying it's aliens, but unidentified aerial phenomena have...
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: List of high altitude object events in 2023
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_high-altitude_object_events_in_2023Source snippet
of birds or weather balloons (as opposed to potential threats). VanHerck... List of reported UFO sightings · Jetpack man · Mystery airsh...
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Source: abc7news.com
Title: unidentified object shot down north america
Link: https://abc7news.com/post/unidentified-object-shot-down-north-america/12805407/Source snippet
Here is what we know about the unidentified objects shot down... balloon -- as was the high-altitude object downed over Alaska on Friday...
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Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/27news/posts/the-unidentified-flying-object-shot-down-in-canadian-airspace-on-saturday-appear/10161159947927780/Source snippet
lub reports missing balloon after 'UFO shootdowns'. A...Read more...
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