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Within Arctic Skies

What can the 2018 Baffin Island sighting really tell US?

The public evidence leaves the 2018 pilot sighting unresolved while supporting several ordinary explanations.

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On this page

  • Timeline of the report
  • Competing explanations
  • Why the case remains unresolved
Preview for What can the 2018 Baffin Island sighting really tell US?

Introduction

The 2018 Baffin Island pilot sighting remains one of Nunavut’s best-known modern UFO reports because it involved experienced commercial flight crew rather than casual observers. However, the publicly available evidence does not support dramatic conclusions. What is known is that a Nolinor Aviation crew reported an unusual colour-changing light while flying towards the Mary River iron mine on 24 November 2018. What is not known is the light’s true distance, altitude, speed or identity. No public photographs, radar confirmation or independent measurements have emerged, leaving the incident unresolved but also preventing any confident claim that an extraordinary object was present. Within Nunavut’s UFO history, the case is valuable less as evidence of an unknown craft than as an example of how Arctic flying conditions can produce sincere but difficult-to-interpret reports.[Nunatsiaq News]nunatsiaq.comNews Pilots report UFO sighting over Nunavut’s northern Baffin IslandNunatsiaq NewsPilots report UFO sighting over Nunavut’s northern Baffin IslandNovember 27, 2018…Published: November 27, 2018

2018 Sighting illustration 1

Timeline of the report

On the evening of 24 November 2018, a Nolinor Aviation Boeing 737-200 was flying from Iqaluit towards the Mary River mine in northern Baffin Island. At approximately 8:30 p.m. local time, the crew reported seeing an unidentified light ahead of the aircraft. The observation was entered into Transport Canada’s Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS), using the aviation reporting category associated with CIRVIS/UFO reports. The report noted that NORAD had been informed and that there had been no operational impact on the flight.[Nunatsiaq News]nunatsiaq.comNews Pilots report UFO sighting over Nunavut’s northern Baffin IslandNunatsiaq NewsPilots report UFO sighting over Nunavut’s northern Baffin IslandNovember 27, 2018…Published: November 27, 2018

The story became widely known after Nunatsiaq News obtained details of the occurrence. The initial CADORS entry was brief and did not attempt to identify the object. Instead, it listed several possibilities, including a weather balloon, meteor, rocket or unidentified flying object, reflecting the fact that the reporting system records what crews observe rather than serving as a final investigative conclusion. Transport Canada also emphasised that such reports are preliminary and may change as additional information becomes available.[Nunatsiaq News]nunatsiaq.comNews Pilots report UFO sighting over Nunavut’s northern Baffin IslandNunatsiaq NewsPilots report UFO sighting over Nunavut’s northern Baffin IslandNovember 27, 2018…Published: November 27, 2018

Additional information emerged when Nolinor vice-president Marco Prud’homme spoke with the pilot. According to Prud’homme, the pilot described a bright light that appeared to change between red, green and white. Importantly, he also said the pilot considered that it might have been a star or a meteor and that it was “probably something natural.” That cautious assessment from the witness himself is one of the most significant pieces of evidence in the public record.[Nunatsiaq News]nunatsiaq.comNews Pilots report UFO sighting over Nunavut’s northern Baffin IslandNunatsiaq NewsPilots report UFO sighting over Nunavut’s northern Baffin IslandNovember 27, 2018…Published: November 27, 2018

What makes the sighting unusual?

The report attracted attention because commercial pilots are trained observers operating in a professional environment. Aviation crews routinely distinguish aircraft, navigation lights and common weather phenomena. As a result, reports from pilots are often regarded as more credible than anonymous public sightings.

Nevertheless, pilot experience does not eliminate the limits of human perception. In this case, the publicly available evidence is remarkably sparse:

  • no publicly released cockpit photographs or video;
  • no public radar track identifying an unusual target;
  • no measured distance or altitude for the light;
  • no indication that the object manoeuvred in a way that could not be explained conventionally;
  • no reported effect on aircraft systems or flight safety.

These missing pieces matter because without knowing how far away the light was, it is impossible to estimate its true size or speed. A distant astronomical object, a meteor or another atmospheric phenomenon can appear surprisingly dynamic when viewed from a moving aircraft at night.

Competing explanations

The available evidence supports several ordinary explanations, but none can be demonstrated conclusively.

Bright star or planet

The witness description of a bright light changing between red, green and white closely matches atmospheric scintillation, the rapid colour changes that affect bright stars viewed through turbulent air, particularly when they are relatively low above the horizon.

This explanation also fits the pilot’s own suggestion that the object could have been a star. Arctic skies are exceptionally dark during late November, allowing bright celestial objects to appear unusually vivid against the background sky. Because an aircraft is moving while the star remains fixed, the apparent position of the light can also seem to change relative to the landscape.

2018 Sighting illustration 2

Meteor

The pilot also mentioned the possibility of a meteor. Bright meteors can produce striking visual displays and may appear unusually prominent over remote northern regions with little light pollution.

However, most meteors are visible only briefly. The publicly available reporting does not provide enough detail about how long the light remained visible, making it difficult either to support or dismiss this explanation.

Balloon, rocket or aircraft

The original CADORS entry also listed possibilities such as a weather balloon or rocket. This should not be interpreted as evidence that investigators believed those objects were present. Rather, CADORS often records broad categories of possibilities when the identity of an observed object is unknown.

Likewise, no public evidence has emerged linking the sighting to another aircraft, military activity or a known launch.

An unknown object

The simplest reason the case remains in UFO catalogues is that the object was never positively identified. “Unidentified”, however, does not automatically imply extraordinary. It simply means that the available information was insufficient to reach a firm conclusion.

2018 Sighting illustration 3

Why the case remains unresolved

The Baffin Island sighting illustrates an important difference between unexplained and unexplainable.

Several limitations prevent a definitive reconstruction:

  • the observation relied primarily on eyewitness testimony;
  • there were no publicly released sensor recordings;
  • the viewing geometry was never established;
  • the object’s range and altitude remain unknown;
  • no later investigation produced publicly available evidence resolving the case.

These gaps mean that neither sceptics nor proponents of extraordinary explanations possess enough evidence to prove their preferred interpretation.

At the same time, the existence of several plausible conventional explanations weakens arguments that the report necessarily involved an unconventional craft. The pilot’s own suggestion that the light was “probably something natural” carries considerable weight because it came from one of the principal witnesses shortly after the event.[Nunatsiaq News]nunatsiaq.comNews Pilots report UFO sighting over Nunavut’s northern Baffin IslandNunatsiaq NewsPilots report UFO sighting over Nunavut’s northern Baffin IslandNovember 27, 2018…Published: November 27, 2018

What the sighting tells us about Nunavut’s UFO history

The 2018 report occupies an unusual place in Nunavut’s modern UFO record. Unlike many historical sightings based on second-hand accounts or folklore, this incident generated an official aviation occurrence report and involved experienced airline personnel. That alone makes it historically notable.

However, the case is equally important for what it demonstrates about Arctic observation. Flights over northern Baffin Island often occur in prolonged darkness above sparsely populated terrain with few visual reference points. Under those conditions, even trained observers can find it difficult to judge the distance, motion and identity of isolated lights.

Rather than proving the existence of an extraordinary aerial object, the incident highlights why Arctic skies regularly produce observations that remain unresolved despite careful reporting. It sits comfortably within the broader pattern of northern aviation sightings in which sincere witnesses report unusual lights, official reporting procedures are followed, and the available evidence ultimately proves too limited for a definitive identification.

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Endnotes

1. Source: nunatsiaq.com
Title: News Pilots report UFO sighting over Nunavut’s northern Baffin Island
Link:https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/65674pilots_spot_possible_ufo_above_nunavuts_northern_baffin_island/

Source snippet

Nunatsiaq NewsPilots report UFO sighting over Nunavut’s northern Baffin IslandNovember 27, 2018...

Published: November 27, 2018

2. Source: ised-isde.canada.ca
Link:https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/science/en/office-chief-science-advisor/sky-canada-project/management-public-reporting-unidentified-aerial-phenomena-canada

Source snippet

of Public Reporting of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena in CanadaJune 1, 2025 — MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF SCIENCE ADVISOR OF CANADA Whether sat...

Published: June 1, 2025

3. Source: canada.ca
Title: NORA D Authorities and Operations
Link:https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/corporate/reports-publications/proactive-disclosure/secd-april-24-2023/norad-authorities-and-operations.html

Source snippet

High Altitude Objects Overview 2. NORAD Modernization and Continental Defence * Annex A: NORAD modernization project timelines 3. North W...

4. Source: nunatsiaq.com
Title: No injuries as charter plane tips off Baffinland runway
Link:https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/no-injuries-as-charter-plane-tips-off-baffinland-runway/

Source snippet

July 12, 2023 — News Jul 12, 2023 – 5:41 pm EDT NO INJURIES AS CHARTER PLANE TIPS OFF BAFFINLAND RUNWAY Cause of incident under investiga...

Published: July 12, 2023

5. Source: canada.ca
Title: * In r
Link:https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/corporate/reports-publications/proactive-disclosure/nddn-7-march-23/key-issues.html

Source snippet

Key Issues – High-Altitude Objects - Canada.caJuly 5, 2023 — KEY ISSUES – HIGH-ALTITUDE OBJECTS TIMELINES * National Defence is committed...

Published: July 5, 2023

6. Source: nunatsiaq.com
Title: Baffinland eyes Northwest Passage as possible shipping route
Link:https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/baffinland-eyes-northwest-passage-as-possible-shipping-route/

7. Source: canada.ca
Link:https://www.canada.ca/en/transportation-safety-board/news/2019/08/departure-after-14-minutes-in-heavy-snowfall-led-to-2018-collision-with-terrain-at-abbotsford-airport.html

8. Source: nunatsiaq.com
Title: our top 10 stories of 2018
Link:https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/our-top-10-stories-of-2018/

9. Source: nunatsiaq.com
Title: Pilots report UFO sighting over Nunavut’s northern Baffin Island
Link:https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/pilots-report-ufo-sighting-over-nunavuts-northern-baffin-island/

10. Source: nunatsiaq.com
Title: Say yes to Mary River railway amendment, Nunavut commission recommends
Link:https://nunatsiaq.com/stories/article/65674nunavut_commission_recommends_a_yes_to_baffinland_railway/

11. Source: nrc-publications.canada.ca
Link:https://nrc-publications.canada.ca/eng/view/object/?id=c62279f8-dd35-48e1-9f3a-ee136f649932

12. Source: eol.ucar.edu
Link:https://www.eol.ucar.edu/field_projects/star

Additional References

13. Source: canadanewsmedia.ca
Link:https://canadanewsmedia.ca/ufos-declassified-canadian-docs-show-military-response-to-sightings-ctv-news/

Source snippet

UFOs: Declassified Canadian docs show military response to sightings | Canada News MediaNovember 1, 2022 — A declassified and formerly “S...

Published: November 1, 2022

14. Source: ufoinsight.com
Title: The Flight NRL796 UFO Incident: Another Aerial Anomaly Over The Nunavut Region
Link:https://www.ufoinsight.com/ufos/cover-ups/the-flight-nrl796-ufo-incident

Source snippet

UFO InsightApril 11, 2025 — THE FLIGHT NRL796 UFO INCIDENT: ANOTHER AERIAL ANOMALY OVER THE NUNAVUT REGION By Marcus Lowth Image: Publish...

Published: April 11, 2025

15. Source: arctictoday.com
Title: Arctic Today Pilots report UFO sighting over Nunavut’s northern Baffin Island
Link:https://www.arctictoday.com/pilots-report-ufo-sighting-nunavuts-northern-baffin-island/

Source snippet

Pilots report UFO sighting over Nunavut’s northern Baffin Island - ArcticToday...

16. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6JgyhoCyi8

Source snippet

Air traffic control audio: Pilots report 'triangles' over Canadian prairies on Jan. 19, 2024...

17. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD_AQiW15nI

Source snippet

Air traffic control audio: [Pilot reports]({{ 'pilot-reports/' | relative_url }}) unusual lights over northern Canada on Jan. 30, 2023...

18. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgbNKOK7lr4

Source snippet

UFOs over Canada? Government urged to start tracking | The Current...

19. Source: youtube.com
Title: UFOs over Canada? Government urged to start tracking | The Current
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrxW9jrbtmM

Source snippet

Pilots Speak Out (Full Episode) | UFOs: Investigating the Unknown | National Geographic...

20. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bBsWjjCChg

Source snippet

Air traffic control audio: Pilot reports unusual lights over northern Canada on Jan. 30, 2023...

21. Source: baffinland.com
Link:https://www.baffinland.com/operation/mary-river-mine/

22. Source: superstitioustimes.com
Link:https://superstitioustimes.com/baffin-island-ufo-nothing-more-than-a-star-on-the-horizon/