FAA Releases audio of Pilot Encounter with Unidentified Object Pacing Aircraft Over Nevada

On May 20, 2025, the crew of Priester Aviation flight PWA192 reported an unusual object while the Gulfstream G150 was crossing northeastern Nevada. The flight was returning from San Francisco International Airport to Chicago Executive Airport when the crew began discussing an object outside the aircraft.

The encounter was later documented in Federal Aviation Administration records released through a Freedom of Information Act request. The released material includes air traffic control audio and FAA facility logs. Radar files were withheld, leaving an important part of the event unavailable for public review.

The crews description evolved during the encounter. Early references characterized the object as dark and circular or as having wing-like features. As the sighting continued, the discussion moved toward an aircraft-like appearance. The object was reported to remain alongside or near the flight for a long distance rather than simply appearing for a moment and disappearing.

According to the released FAA material, the object was visually observed, appeared aircraft-like and maintained a parallel course, while controllers did not have a corresponding radar target available to them. The records place the event at about 0210 UTC.

The absence of released radar data leaves a clear limit on what can be established. The FAA withheld 12 En Route Automation Modernization radar files under a national-security exemption. That means the public record contains the crews observations and controller communications but not the underlying radar information that might have helped identify the object.

Another crew was contacted during the event to determine whether anyone else could see the object. The released material shows controllers trying to establish whether the report represented known traffic. The object later appeared to climb rapidly and disappear from view, according to the released account.

The location adds context without providing an answer. The encounter occurred in northeastern Nevada, an area with several military testing and training facilities. That geographic fact does not establish that the object was military, and the released records do not identify it as such.

The event therefore ends with the central question unresolved. A business-jet crew reported an aircraft-like object pacing the flight, controllers did not have a matching radar target in the released material, and the object eventually disappeared. No public record identified it conclusively.

The event ended without a reported collision, loss of control or other aircraft emergency. The crew continued operating the flight while the unusual object was discussed with controllers.

The FAA release also shows why the public record cannot answer every question about the encounter. The radar files were withheld, so the data that might have shown whether an aircraft or other track was present are not publicly available. The absence of a public radar track is not proof that no radar information existed; it means that the relevant files were not released.

The objects apparent movement changed the character of the report. It was not simply described as stationary in the distance. The crew reported that it remained alongside the flight and later appeared to move upward rapidly. The duration of the observation was therefore a central part of the report.

The encounter also involved another aircraft being asked to look. Controllers were attempting to determine whether the object was visible to another crew, an important step when a visual report has no matching radar return. The released material records this effort without producing a confirmed identification. One of the early descriptions was black circle.

“On 20 May 2025, FAA documents and ATC audio released by The Black Vault reveal that Priester Aviation flight PWA192 encountered an unidentified dark object while flying over northeastern Nevada near Reno.”

Accident facts

Chronology of the event

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