During a mission over Syria, an aircrew member observed an uneven white orb of light on the camera screen. The light appeared repeatedly, sometimes seeming to cross the image.
The incident occurred on October 20, 2024. This was not a description of a light seen visually outside the aircraft; the crew member saw it on video from the aircraft's camera. For 45 minutes, flashes appeared from various directions. Three times, they streaked across the screen, and on two other occasions, a halo appeared at the top of the image.
Three Screen Crossings
The report was logged in a US Air Force mission report. According to the entry, the crew member noticed the light at 15:59. Further flashes were then described, appearing from different directions on the screen.
On three occasions—at the beginning of the sighting, a few minutes later, and near its end—a light directly crossed the image. These were not three appearances of the same light at a fixed point; the report describes flashes from various directions.
Halo at the Top
On two additional occasions, several minutes apart, a halo of light appeared at the top of the video screen. The report describes the appearance as both an uneven white orb of light and as flashes or glare from an unknown source.
The crew assessed that it was not a laser beam. Crew members also determined that the event did not alter or affect the mission. The screen displayed the flashes and halo while the aircraft continued its mission.
The entry is a mission report, not a video for viewing. It describes what was seen on the screen but does not present the visual itself to the reader.
What Remains Unknown
The report does not identify what created the light or why it appeared from different directions. The crew believed it was not a laser beam but did not determine the source of the flashes and halo.
Three times, the light crossed the screen. The next time you see a flash in a video, you'll know how little can be learned from an image alone.