In February 2023, three unidentified objects were shot down after they traveled into U.S. airspace, shortly after a Chinese balloon was shot down. While it was known that images and even videos existed of at least some of the objects, nothing was released until late September 2024. CTV News obtained a grainy image of one of the objects after filing a freedom of information request in Canada. The image only raises more questions, including why it strongly resembles another UFO video from 12 years prior.
The shootdowns happened on February 10, 11 and 12, 2023, after a Chinese balloon was shot down on February 4, 2023.
According to CTV News, the grainy photo was of the object shot down over the Yukon on February 11, which borders Alaska. Interestingly, this is the second of three object shot down, and is the one that was originally believed to possibly be a hobbyist balloon (which was never confirmed.) The object that raised the most suspicion since the shootdowns was the first one shot down over Deadhorse, Alaska. (Later in this article, you’ll see a detailed refresher of each of the objects shot down and what we knew about them.)
CTV News reported that the image was originally distributed internally on February 14, 2023, and was approved for public release on February 15 but ultimately held back due to concerns it would only create more confusion. The redacted email thread also mentioned that additional footage of the object exists.
The object was described in the email as “a cylindrical object. Top quarter is metallic, remainder white. 20 foot white hanging below with a package of some sort suspended from it.”
A public affairs official wrote in the email thread: “Given the current public environment and statements related to the object being benign, releasing the image may create more questions/confusion, regardless of the text that will accompany the post.” The noted that the Yukon object “we can now characterize as a suspected balloon.”
The image bears an interesting resemblance to a video posted 12 years ago on YouTube of a UFO purportedly flying over Busan, South Korea. The account that posted it is called xxxdonutzxxx.
The account hasn’t posted a new video in 11 years.
This Was the First Photo Released of Any of the Feb. 2023 Objects, Despite Admissions that Footage Exists
Officials have long admitted that footage exists of at least some of the shootdowns, but nothing was released until this grainy image from Canada.
A Defense Department spokesman told Fox New in late March 2023: “The footage of the high altitude objects and the takedown of those objects exists… (but) none of that footage has been cleared for release… The footage remained classified.”
When John Greenewald of Black Vault also requested the files via FOIA, he was told: “Under Exemption 1 and AFMAN 33-302, referencing Executive Order (EO) 13526 that apply to the continued classification of information, the requested information is withheld and not releasable.”
The exemption listed applies to items “concerning the national defense or foreign policy.”
In early August, NORAD told Barnett Parker of KOMO TV that they don’t have a gun-camera video to release because the targeting system that took the video is classified.
However, whistleblower David Grusch told Rep. Andy Biggs during a House hearing in July 2023 that he had seen “some of the videos of the recent shoot-down, and I saw no reason that couldn’t have been released as long as they mask some data. The American people deserve to see that imagery in full motion video.”
Timeline of UFO Shootdowns
Here’s a quick refresher on the UFO shootdowns. While debris was never recovered, according to official reports, many people following the news at the time still have a lot of questions. General Glen VanHerck, commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), said in a briefing on February 12: “I’m not going to categorize these balloons. We call them objects for a reason. … I am not able to categorize how they stay aloft. It could be a gaseous type of balloon inside a structure or it could be some type of a propulsion system. But clearly, they’re — they’re able to stay aloft. I would be hesitant to — and urge you not to attribute it to any specific country. We don’t know. That’s why it’s so critical to get our hands on these so that we can further assess and analyze what they are.”
1. An Object Was Shot Down Over Deadhorse, Alaska, on February 10 After Interfering with Plane Sensors
After the Chinese spy balloon was shot down on February 4, a UFO was shot down over Deadhorse, Alaska on February 10. It was shot down by NORTHCOMM, NORAD told Barnett Parker of KOMO TV. NORAD also said the objects werne’t “aliens or extraterrestrials.”
Here are more details about this UAP:
- It was the size of a small car, the Guardian reported.
- It was at an altitude of 40,000 feet (per CBC).
- It had no signs of propulsion, and was cylindrical and silverish-gray in color (per ABC.)
- Pilots said the object in Alaska interfered with their planes’ sensors and they couldn’t figure out just how it was staying in the air.
- Pilots had visuals and got images of the object. (ABC)
- Fighter aircraft determined it wasn’t manned. (ABC)
- According to a duty watch log shared by Geoff Cruickshank, a NORAD facility in control of intercept operations lost power several times, requiring backup diesel generators. One note in the log reads: “Power bump, MCC ordered to go to diesel generators until after intercept…acr.” The duty log later notes: “Weapons section adz…” then “ANR intercepted…” then some redacted information followed by “CANR SODO called 1910z and directed to shut everything off…” followed by “Back on commercial power at 2102z…acr.” (Liberation Times noted that this facility was at Tyndall AFB.)
- The search for debris was called off on February 17 — just seven days after it was shot down — due to “arctic conditions and sea ice instability.”
- This is UAP #20, briefly referenced in a classified Trudeau memo (more below.)
Before it was announced that the Alaskan search was called off, a local from Alaska said he had already noticed that all the people searching had left Deadhorse. The account Backcountry Alaska was providing the updates, including what appeared to be military collection efforts, but later took those videos down.
Backcountry Alaska explained in a YouTube comment why he took down the videos, writing: “I had to take them down because someone here on the slope crashed a big semi truck and they cracked down on social media use. So I deleted everything to avoid getting in trouble at my job.”
Deleted video from YouTuber who witnessed the recovery operation of the Alaska UAP shootdown in Feb 2023
This guy https://t.co/2sNvlt01AI was posting daily updates of the recovery operation of the downed Alaska UFO back in February. This is one of the videos.
For some reason,… pic.twitter.com/lzyDqkI71w
— Vicky Verma (@Unexplained2020) August 21, 2023
This is believed to be what was referred to as UAP #20 in a heavily redacted, secret memo sent to Trudeau on February 15, 2023, and later obtained by CTV News. (Most of the letter was about UAP #23.) The only note about UAP #20 read: “The full exploitation of UAP #20, which was engaged by the U.S. on February 10, 2023, has not yet been completed.”
In an October 2023 interview with That UFO Podcast, Coulthart said he was told that there’s more to this Alaska shootdown.
“I got told a while back, by reliable multiple sources that I should take a much closer look at the Alaska shootdown,” he said. “I’m told we haven’t been told the full story about that particular incident. I’m told that in all probability, the Yukon object and the Lake Huron object were in all likelihood benign, prosaically explained objects.”
2. The 2nd UFO Was Shot Down Over the Canadian Yukon on February 11
A second UFO was detected on February 11 and shot down by an F22 over the Canadian Yukon the same day.
- This is UAP #23, referenced in a classified Trudeau memo (more on that below.) The memo said the UAP’s method of propulsion, function, and affiliation were unverified.
- It was shot down by a U.S. NORAD F-22 Raptor.
- It was smaller and tougher to detect, Rep. Dan Crenshaw tweeted.
- CAF led recovery operations, but “mountainous terrain, existing snow cover and expected new snowfall make prospect of recovery unlikely,” the memo said.
- The search was called off because debris couldn’t be located and weather hindered the effort, Global News reported. RCMP noted: “The highest probability area has been searched and the debris was not located… Given the snowfall that has occurred, the decreasing probability the object will be found and the current belief the object is not tied to a scenario that justifies extraordinary search efforts, the RCMP is terminating the search.”
- There was speculation this UFO might have belonged to a hobbyist club in Illinois but this was never confirmed (more on that below.)
- In late September 2024, a grainy image of the object was released to CTV News via a freedom of information request (as detailed earlier in this story.) It has been dubbed a “Pac-man UAP” by the public.
- CTV News reported that the object was described in a redacted email as “a cylindrical object. Top quarter is metallic, remainder white. 20 foot white hanging below with a package of some sort suspended from it.” (This was not reflected in the grainy picture.)
A heavily redacted memo to Trudeau on February 14, 2023, released to CTV News, was focused on this object in particular. The letter noted that this was the 23rd UAP tracked over North America thus far in 2023. “Object #23’s function, method of propulsion, or affiliation to any nation-state remains unverified,” they wrote, noting that it was unusual enough to merit “higher reporting or engagement.”
The memo also noted: “It is unknown whether it poses an armed threat or has intelligence collection capabilities. The area in which the impact occurred is a known (caribou) migration route, which opens the possibility of future accidental discovery by Indigenous hunters.”
A hobbyist club in Illinois, Northern Illinois Bottlecap Balloon Brigade (NIBBB), was missing its balloon at the same time the objects were shot down, and there was speculation the Yukon object in particular might be connected to their balloon. However, despite what some news publications reported, this was never actually confirmed, only suspected. The balloon’s last location was reported on February 10 just off the west coast of Alaska. An NOAA model forecasted that the object would be over the Yukon region on February 11.
Aviation Week described the hobbyist balloon as a “silver-coated, party-style, ‘pico balloon’” that is cylinder-shaped. Aviation Week went on to note that pico balloons are relatively new and only started being launched in the last 10 years. But, because most weigh less than six pounds, they’re exempt from most FAA restrictions.
Stephanie Dwilson is a licensed attorney and has a master's in science in science and technology journalism. She's known for her thorough, accurate reporting and commitment to journalistic integrity in all her work. You can reach her at writerdube@gmail.com.
