Within Aviation Cases
What did the Terrace radar case really show?
The 18 July 2024 Terrace radar case shows why an unresolved aviation report can matter without proving an exotic object.
On this page
- What happened near Terrace on 18 July 2024
- Why the radar and radio details matter
- What the public record cannot prove
Page outline Jump by section
Introduction
The Terrace radar case of 18 July 2024 is one of the more interesting recent aviation-linked UFO reports in British Columbia because it originated inside the aviation reporting system rather than through social media, civilian witnesses or later folklore. According to a Transport Canada CADORS occurrence record, an unidentified radar target was observed near Terrace while an aircraft was on approach. The target reportedly did not respond to radio calls and later disappeared from radar. That is enough to make the event noteworthy from an aviation-safety perspective, but not enough to establish what the object was. The case illustrates an important lesson in British Columbia’s UFO history: an unresolved report can be significant without proving anything exotic. The real story lies in what the records show, and what they do not. [Facebook]facebook.comThis Mystery Object Wasn't Showing Up on Flight Radaraircraft” seen on radar on July 18 over Terrace, BC. It didn't respond to radio calls and then vanished from radar…
What happened near Terrace on 18 July 2024
The publicly circulated description of CADORS occurrence 2024P2092 states that controllers observed an “unidentified aircraft” on radar near Terrace, British Columbia, on 18 July 2024. The target was reportedly detected while another aircraft was approaching the airport. Radio calls were made, but no response was received. The target then vanished from radar. [Facebook]facebook.comThis Mystery Object Wasn't Showing Up on Flight Radaraircraft” seen on radar on July 18 over Terrace, BC. It didn't respond to radio calls and then vanished from radar…
Terrace is not an especially busy airport by Canadian standards, but it occupies an important position in north-western British Columbia. The airport serves scheduled traffic and operates in terrain where weather, mountains and limited surveillance coverage can complicate aviation operations. NAV CANADA documentation shows that the airport supports both scheduled airline services and local aviation activity within a complex regional airspace environment. [NAV CANADA]navcanada.caNAV CANADATerms of Reference (TORTerrace CZ Cut OutOctober 8, 2020 — The purpose of this Terms of Reference (TOR) document is to initiate an aeronautical study to review…
What makes the July 2024 occurrence stand out is not a dramatic witness narrative but the fact that a radar return became part of an official aviation occurrence record. Many UFO stories rely on recollections long after the event. Here, the report entered a formal safety-reporting system because it was considered relevant to air traffic operations. [Transport Canada]tc.canada.caIt is also used to capture informationTransport CanadaThe Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System…15 Jul 2021 — Launched in 1985, CADORS was created to provide tim…
Why the radar and radio details matter
In aviation cases, radar and communications evidence often carry more weight than descriptions of unusual lights. A pilot may misjudge distance, speed or size, but a radar contact suggests that some type of detectable target or signal was present within the surveillance system.
That does not mean radar automatically confirms a physical unknown object. Modern aviation surveillance combines several technologies, including primary radar reflections, transponder-based systems and data processing networks. An unexplained target can arise from a variety of causes, including an aircraft with incomplete identification data, a temporary surveillance anomaly, signal processing issues or a genuine but unidentified aircraft. The CADORS description released publicly does not provide enough technical information to determine which possibility applies. [Transport Canada]tc.canada.caIt is also used to capture informationTransport CanadaThe Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System…15 Jul 2021 — Launched in 1985, CADORS was created to provide tim…
The reported lack of response to radio calls is also noteworthy, but only within limits. An unidentified target that does not answer air traffic communications may sound mysterious, yet there are many mundane reasons why contact might fail. The target may not have been monitoring the frequency, may not have had functioning communications equipment, may have been misidentified as an aircraft when it was something else, or may not have represented an actual aircraft at all. The public record does not contain the radio transcripts needed to evaluate those possibilities. [Facebook]facebook.comThis Mystery Object Wasn't Showing Up on Flight Radaraircraft” seen on radar on July 18 over Terrace, BC. It didn't respond to radio calls and then vanished from radar…
For readers interested in British Columbia UFO history, the Terrace event is valuable because it sits at the intersection of aviation safety and uncertainty. It involves radar, air traffic procedures and an official report, yet still resists firm interpretation.
What the public record cannot prove
The strongest conclusion that can be drawn from the available evidence is surprisingly modest: something was reported on radar, it generated enough concern to be recorded, and the publicly available information does not identify it.
The public record does not establish:
- The exact nature of the radar return.
- Whether the target was tracked on primary radar, secondary surveillance systems or another sensor source.
- Its precise altitude, speed or trajectory.
- Whether additional sensors confirmed the contact.
- Whether investigators later reached a private explanation not reflected in public summaries.
- Whether the target represented an aircraft, a surveillance anomaly or another phenomenon. [Transport Canada]tc.canada.caIt is also used to capture informationTransport CanadaThe Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System…15 Jul 2021 — Launched in 1985, CADORS was created to provide tim…
These gaps matter because aviation occurrence databases are not designed to function as UFO investigation files. Transport Canada describes CADORS as a rapid reporting and safety-information system. The records are preliminary and may be updated as more information becomes available. Their purpose is to identify hazards and support safety analysis, not to provide exhaustive public investigations of unusual aerial events. [Transport Canada]tc.canada.caIt is also used to capture informationTransport CanadaThe Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System…15 Jul 2021 — Launched in 1985, CADORS was created to provide tim…
As a result, readers sometimes expect more certainty from a CADORS entry than the system is intended to provide. A report can remain unresolved simply because the available data are insufficient for a definitive conclusion.
Why the case remains relevant in British Columbia’s UFO history
The Terrace incident matters less because of what it proves and more because of what it demonstrates about modern UFO reporting in Canada.
Earlier generations of British Columbia UFO cases often depended on newspaper stories, local investigators or witness testimony. The Terrace report emerged from operational aviation channels. It shows how an unusual event can enter the official record without automatically receiving a dramatic explanation or a dramatic dismissal. [Transport Canada]tc.canada.caIt is also used to capture informationTransport CanadaThe Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System…15 Jul 2021 — Launched in 1985, CADORS was created to provide tim…
The case also highlights a recurring pattern in aviation-linked UFO reports. An event can be credible enough to concern air traffic personnel and still lack the data required for identification. In that sense, Terrace belongs in the same category as many historically important pilot and radar cases: not because it confirms an extraordinary object, but because it exposes the boundary between what observers detected and what investigators can actually prove.
For students of British Columbia’s aviation-related UFO history, that boundary is often the most important part of the story. The Terrace radar target remains unresolved in the public record, but unresolved is not the same as unexplained, and unexplained is not the same as extraordinary. The lasting significance of the case lies in showing how much uncertainty can remain even when a report originates inside a formal aviation system. [Transport Canada+2Facebook]tc.canada.caIt is also used to capture informationTransport CanadaThe Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System…15 Jul 2021 — Launched in 1985, CADORS was created to provide tim…
Amazon book picks
Further Reading
Books and field guides related to What did the Terrace radar case really show?. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.
UFOs
Focuses on radar, pilot testimony, military reporting, and unresolved aerial incidents similar to the Terrace radar event.
In Plain Sight: an Investigation Into UFOs and Impossible Sci...
Explores modern unidentified aerial phenomena, official records, and evidence assessment relevant to recent radar cases.
The UFO Experience
Provides a framework for evaluating unexplained sightings without assuming extraordinary conclusions.
Skunk Works
Helps readers understand how advanced aerospace projects can influence interpretations of unusual radar and aircraft reports.
eBay marketplace picks
Marketplace Samples
Example marketplace items related to this page. Use the search link to explore similar finds on eBay.
Endnotes
-
Source: facebook.com
Title: This Mystery Object Wasn’t Showing Up on Flight Radar
Link: https://www.facebook.com/fan1065fm/posts/this-mystery-object-wasnt-showing-up-on-flight-radar/1579865487476038/Source snippet
aircraft” seen on radar on July 18 over Terrace, BC. It didn't respond to radio calls and then vanished from radar...
-
Source: facebook.com
Title: this mystery object wasnt showing up on flight radar
Link: https://www.facebook.com/Kool1017/posts/this-mystery-object-wasnt-showing-up-on-flight-radar/1590875293039346/Source snippet
July 2024... unidentified aircraft” seen on radar on July 18 over Terrace, BC. It didn't respond to radio calls and then vanished from r...
Published: July 2024
-
Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/348704483442978/posts/757793155867440/ -
Source: navcanada.ca
Title: NAV CANADATerms of Reference (TOR)
Link: https://www.navcanada.ca/en/scr/_localized-assets/los-studies/2020-los-studies/tor-2020-nw-regional-airport-en.pdfSource snippet
Terrace CZ Cut OutOctober 8, 2020 — The purpose of this Terms of Reference (TOR) document is to initiate an aeronautical study to review...
Published: October 8, 2020
-
Source: tc.canada.ca
Title: It is also used to capture information
Link: https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/publications/aviation-safety-letter/issue-2-2021/civil-aviation-daily-occurrence-reporting-system-cadorsSource snippet
Transport CanadaThe Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System...15 Jul 2021 — Launched in 1985, CADORS was created to provide tim...
-
Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/348704483442978/posts/1177789563867795/Source snippet
Unidentified flying object spotted on radarJust saw this fly over! I heard it for awhile before I saw it, I went outside because I've not...
-
Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/spotlightstoriesofficial/posts/this-was-never-on-the-radar-for-them/734025975428266/Source snippet
over Terrace, BC. It didn't respond to radio calls and then...
-
Source: aviation-safety.net
Link: https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/405582
Additional References
-
Source: rcmp.ca
Title: norad intercepts and lands plane safely after air restriction violation
Link: https://rcmp.ca/en/g7/news/2025/06/norad-intercepts-and-lands-plane-safely-after-air-restriction-violationSource snippet
NORAD intercepts and lands plane safely after air restriction...15 Jun 2025 — At approximately 11:05 am today, a non-compliant Canadian...
-
Source: support.fr24.com
Title: 3000117426 why is some aircraft information limited or not visible
Link: https://support.fr24.com/support/solutions/articles/3000117426-why-is-some-aircraft-information-limited-or-not-visible-Source snippet
is some aircraft information limited or not visible?10 Apr 2026 — Information about a small number of flights may be limited or blocked a...
-
Source: terracestandard.com
Title: No injuries after small airplane makes hard landing at B.C
Link: https://terracestandard.com/2026/03/21/no-injuries-after-small-airplane-makes-hard-landing-at-b-c-airport/Source snippet
21 Mar 2026 — An airplane made an emergency landing at the Vernon Airport Saturday afternoon, coming to a rest on the landing strip in a...
-
Source: skyscanner.net
Title: Terrace Airport (YXT) Arrivals and Departures
Link: https://www.skyscanner.net/flights/arrivals-departures/yxt/terrace-arrivals-departuresSource snippet
FlightsCheck the status of your domestic or international Terrace (YXT) flight with the help of our live arrivals and departures board.Re...
-
Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/ATC/comments/noxllb/have_you_ever_had_false_targets_show_on_radar/Source snippet
(Im FSS) I dont use it at all. Since the rise of UFO/UAP discussion...
-
Source: aaro.mil
Title: AARO Historical Record Report Vol 1 2024
Link: https://www.aaro.mil/Portals/136/PDFs/AARO_Historical_Record_Report_Vol_1_2024.pdfSource snippet
AARO_Historical_Record_Repor...6 Mar 2024 — SECTION I: Introduction. This report represents Volume I of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution...
-
Source: tsb.gc.ca
Title: ASISdb MDOTW VW OCCURRENCE PUBLIC.csv
Link: https://www.tsb.gc.ca/sites/default/files/stats/ASISdb_MDOTW_VW_OCCURRENCE_PUBLIC.csvSource snippet
CSV file... Aircraft of Canada DHC-8-400, operated by WestJet Encore, was conducting flight WEN3604 from Kelowna International Airport (C...
-
Source: youtube.com
Title: Pilots report ‘triangles’ over Canadian prairies on Jan
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgbNKOK7lr4Source snippet
on Jan. 19, 2024, several pilots over the Canadian prairies reported "seeing multiple lights sometimes in a triangle formatio...
-
Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/flightradar24/comments/1775k0g/unidentified_aircraft/Source snippet
k off from ADS in Dallas-fort worth area.Read more...
-
Source: forum.flightradar24.com
Title: 6999 multiple unknown aircraft
Link: https://forum.flightradar24.com/forum/radar-forums/flightradar24-web-page-and-apps/6999-multiple-unknown-aircraftSource snippet
Unknown Aircraft?A whole bunch of aircraft images popped up all showing 'Unknown' as the call sign. They would show up then disappear and...
Topic Tree