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What Official Records Really Prove About Sightings

CADORS can confirm that a sighting affected a flight, but fragmented Canadian and US records often prevent a final identification.

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On this page

  • What CADORS records about aviation incidents
  • Why occurrence reports are not full investigations
  • How cross border agencies divide the evidence
Preview for What Official Records Really Prove About Sightings

Introduction

For Ontario’s Great Lakes sightings, official Canadian aviation records can establish far less—and far more—than many people assume. They can often confirm that a pilot, controller or flight crew reported an unusual object, that the report affected aircraft operations, and which organisations became involved. What they usually cannot do is identify the object with certainty. That is because Canada’s aviation reporting system is designed to support flight safety, not to investigate unexplained aerial phenomena. The result is a paper trail that is highly valuable for verifying that an event occurred, but often incomplete when readers want a final explanation.[tc.canada.ca]tc.canada.caCivil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS) ManualTP 4044September 5, 2025…Published: September 5, 2025

Aviation Records illustration 1

For reports over the Great Lakes, this limitation is especially important. Flights routinely cross Canadian and United States airspace, while civil aviation, military surveillance and accident investigation are divided between several organisations. Understanding what each record actually proves is therefore more useful than treating any single document as definitive evidence.

What CADORS records about aviation incidents

The Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS) is Transport Canada’s central database for civil aviation occurrences. It was created to provide rapid reporting of aviation events and today captures thousands of incidents every year from air traffic service providers and other reporting sources. Its purpose is operational awareness and aviation safety rather than determining the true nature of every reported object.[tc.canada.ca]tc.canada.caThe Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORSJuly 15, 2021…Published: July 15, 2021

For Ontario UFO-related reports, a CADORS entry can reliably establish facts such as:

  • the date and approximate time of the occurrence;
  • the reporting aircraft or facility;
  • the general location;
  • whether pilots or controllers described an unidentified object or light;
  • whether the report affected flight operations, such as a course change or increased vigilance;
  • whether the event was passed to another authority through standard reporting channels.

Those points matter because they distinguish documented aviation occurrences from later retellings. A CADORS record confirms that an aviation report entered the official safety system, not merely that someone later claimed an unusual encounter.

Equally important is what CADORS does not prove. A narrative describing an unidentified object is generally a summary of the initial report. It is not a technical conclusion that an unknown craft was present, nor does the inclusion of a report imply government endorsement of the witness’s interpretation. The database contains many different categories of aviation occurrences, including reports involving balloons, meteors, rockets and unidentified objects, because all may be relevant to operational safety when first observed.[tc.canada.ca]tc.canada.caThe Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORSJuly 15, 2021…Published: July 15, 2021

19:27

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

Channel: CBC News · Views: 13.2K · Uploaded: July 2025 · Length: 19 minutes

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Why occurrence reports are not full investigations

One of the most common misunderstandings is treating a CADORS entry as if it were an investigative report. It is not.

Transport Canada’s occurrence reporting system is intended to record that something happened and distribute timely safety information. Whether a detailed investigation follows depends on other organisations and on the significance of the event.[tc.canada.ca]tc.canada.caCivil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS) ManualTP 4044September 5, 2025…Published: September 5, 2025

In Canada, the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) independently decides whether a reported occurrence deserves a formal investigation. Most reported aviation events are never examined in depth because the Board concentrates its resources on cases most likely to improve transportation safety. Thousands of occurrences are reported annually, but only a small proportion become full investigations.[tsb.gc.ca]tsb.gc.caPolicy on Occurrence ClassificationTransportation Safety Board of CanadaApril 5, 2023…Published: April 5, 2023

This distinction explains why readers sometimes encounter a brief CADORS entry with no obvious conclusion. An occurrence may have:

  • been recorded only for situational awareness;
  • required no further investigation because no safety lessons emerged;
  • fallen below the threshold for a formal TSB inquiry; or
  • been examined through operational channels whose records are held elsewhere.

The absence of a detailed public report therefore should not be interpreted either as evidence of a cover-up or as proof that nothing unusual occurred. More often, it reflects how Canada’s transportation safety system prioritises investigative resources.[tsb.gc.ca]tsb.gc.caPolicy on Occurrence ClassificationTransportation Safety Board of CanadaApril 5, 2023…Published: April 5, 2023

Aviation Records illustration 2

How cross-border agencies divide the evidence

Great Lakes incidents frequently involve fragmented evidence because responsibility is divided between Canadian and American organisations.

A single report may involve several different record holders:

  • Transport Canada maintains the CADORS occurrence record for civil aviation reporting.
  • NAV CANADA manages Canadian civil air traffic services and operational records relating to aircraft movements and controller communications.
  • The Transportation Safety Board independently investigates only selected occurrences where transportation safety may benefit.
  • NORAD monitors North American aerospace warning and defence but does not automatically release operational information associated with every reported unidentified object.
  • United States agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and, where appropriate, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), may hold records if the event crossed the international boundary or involved American aircraft or airspace.

Because these organisations serve different legal and operational purposes, no single public file normally contains every radar return, controller conversation, military assessment and investigative conclusion.

For sightings over Lake Ontario, Lake Erie or the upper Great Lakes, an aircraft may depart one country, be controlled by another air navigation provider and operate near airspace monitored by military systems shared through NORAD. The documentary record is therefore naturally distributed across multiple institutions rather than deliberately fragmented.[tsb.gc.ca]tsb.gc.caAbout investigationsTransportation Safety Board of Canada…

1:11

Unusual object spotted on Winnipeg flight

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What the records can prove—and what they cannot

When evaluating an Ontario aviation-related UFO report, official documentation provides several levels of confidence.

Official records can often prove:

  • that a report was genuinely made by aviation personnel;
  • that the report entered recognised aviation reporting systems;
  • that flight crews or controllers regarded the event seriously enough to document it;
  • that an occurrence affected aviation safety or operational decision-making.

Official records usually cannot prove:

  • the physical identity of the reported object;
  • whether radar definitely detected the same object seen visually;
  • whether multiple witnesses observed the identical target;
  • whether the object represented an aircraft, atmospheric phenomenon, astronomical object or something genuinely unidentified.

This distinction is especially important when discussing well-known Great Lakes cases. An occurrence may remain officially “unidentified” simply because the available evidence was insufficient for positive identification. In aviation terminology, “unidentified” generally reflects the limits of the evidence rather than confirmation of an extraordinary explanation.

Aviation Records illustration 3

Why these records still matter for Ontario’s UFO history

Despite their limitations, Canadian aviation records remain among the strongest documentary sources for Ontario’s aviation-related UFO history because they originate within operational systems rather than later recollections.

They allow researchers to separate events that demonstrably affected aviation from reports that exist only through media coverage or anecdotal accounts. They also reveal how Canadian authorities prioritise aviation safety over explaining every unusual sighting, providing an important reality check when interpreting Great Lakes incidents.

For readers following Ontario’s broader history of UFO reports, the most reliable approach is to treat CADORS, TSB material and related aviation records as evidence of what aviation professionals observed and how institutions responded. They are essential for establishing chronology, operational impact and official handling—but, on their own, they rarely provide the final answer to what was seen.

Canada and the world get serious about UFOs | The Big Story

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Endnotes

1. Source: tc.canada.ca
Title: Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS) Manual
Link:https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/aviation-publications/civil-aviation-daily-occurrence-reporting-system-cadors-manual-tp-4044

Source snippet

TP 4044September 5, 2025...

Published: September 5, 2025

2. Source: tsb.gc.ca
Title: Investigation process
Link:https://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/enquetes-investigations/index.html

Source snippet

Transportation Safety Board of Canada...

3. Source: tc.canada.ca
Title: The Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS)
Link:https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/publications/aviation-safety-letter/issue-2-2021/civil-aviation-daily-occurrence-reporting-system-cadors

Source snippet

July 15, 2021...

Published: July 15, 2021

4. Source: tsb.gc.ca
Title: Policy on Occurrence Classification
Link:https://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/lois-acts/evenements-occurrences.html

Source snippet

Transportation Safety Board of CanadaApril 5, 2023...

Published: April 5, 2023

5. Source: tsb.gc.ca
Title: About investigations
Link:https://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/qui-about/enq-inv.html

Source snippet

Transportation Safety Board of Canada...

6. Source: canada.ca
Title: ‘s UFOs: The search for the unknown
Link:https://www.canada.ca/en/library-archives/collection/research-help/science-technology/ufos.html

Source snippet

Canada's UFOs: The search for the unknown - Canada.caMarch 2, 2026 — CANADA'S UFOS: THE SEARCH FOR THE UNKNOWN The Library and Archives C...

Published: March 2, 2026

7. Source: canada.ca
Title: What We Heard Report
Link:https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/operations/allies-partners/norad/aothr/what-we-heard-report.html

Source snippet

Executive Summary of A-OTHR Consultation * 2. A-OTHR Online Consultation * 3. Kawartha Lakes Public Engagement Sessions * Annex A - Kawar...

8. Source: tsb.gc.ca
Title: Regulatory Red Tape Review: progress report
Link:https://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/publications/fardeau-red/2025/fardeau-red-2025.html

Source snippet

Transportation Safety Board of CanadaSeptember 17, 2025 — REGULATORY RED TAPE REVIEW: PROGRESS REPORT View document in PDF [207.87 KB] 17...

Published: September 17, 2025

9. Source: canada.ca
Title: Transportation Safety Board of Canada
Link:https://www.canada.ca/en/transportation-safety-board.html

Source snippet

2, 2025 — TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD OF CANADA The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is an independent agency that advances transpor...

10. Source: ised-isde.canada.ca
Title: ca Management of Public Reporting of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena in Canada
Link:https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/science/en/office-chief-science-advisor/sky-canada-project/management-public-reporting-unidentified-aerial-phenomena-canada

11. Source: tsb.gc.ca
Title: Policy on the Publication of Occurrence Data
Link:https://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/lois-acts/data.html

12. 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

13. Source: canada.ca
Title: Key Issues – High-Altitude Objects
Link:https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/corporate/reports-publications/proactive-disclosure/nddn-7-march-23/key-issues.html

14. Source: tc.canada.ca
Title: ca Report an incident affecting airport or aerodrome safety
Link:https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/operating-airports-aerodromes/report-incident-affecting-airport-aerodrome-safety

15. Source: tc.canada.ca
Title: ca4. High Altitude Object Incidents
Link:https://tc.canada.ca/en/binder/4-high-altitude-object-incidents

16. Source: search.open.canada.ca
Title: ca Question Period Notes
Link:https://search.open.canada.ca/qpnotes/record/tc%2CTC-2022-QP-00005

17. Source: tsb.gc.ca
Title: Policy on Visits to Occurrence Sites by Board Members
Link:https://tsb.gc.ca/eng/lois-acts/membres-members.html

18. Source: tc.canada.ca
Title: ca Final Report
Link:https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/publications/final-report-sub-committee-runway-incursions-tp-13795

19. Source: open.canada.ca
Title: ca Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Report System
Link:https://open.canada.ca/data/en/dataset/a348c1d1-2392-4595-b5e2-c6a244a7e87f

20. Source: tc.canada.ca
Link:https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/reference-centre/aerodrome-safety-circulars/aerodrome-safety-circular-asc-no-97-002a

21. Source: tc.canada.ca
Title: aerodrome safety circular asc no 97 002a annex b
Link:https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/reference-centre/aerodrome-safety-circulars/aerodrome-safety-circular-asc-no-97-002a-annex-b

22. Source: tsb.gc.ca
Title: Safety communications
Link:https://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/securite-safety/index.html

23. Source: faa.gov
Link:https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/atpubs/fs_html/chap6_section_6.html

Additional References

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

Source snippet

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

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

Source snippet

Unusual object spotted on Winnipeg flight...

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

Source snippet

Canada and the world get serious about UFOs | The Big Story...

27. Source: youtube.com
Title: Unusual object spotted on Winnipeg flight
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgZ_2Y0_6d4

Source snippet

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

28. Source: icao.int
Link:https://www.icao.int/safety-management/SMI/SMM/Chapter%205

29. Source: icao.int
Link:https://www.icao.int/safety-management/SMI/SI/Examples

30. Source: GOV.UK
Title: www.gov.uk Submitting mandatory occurrence notices and reports
Link:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/submitting-mandatory-occurrence-notices-and-reports

31. Source: laws-lois.justice.gc.ca
Title: justice.gc.ca Transportation Safety Board Regulations
Link:https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2014-37/section-12.html

32. Source: youtube.com
Title: Canada and the world get serious about UFOs | The Big Story
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xH8hjv9cnZc

33. Source: bst.gc.ca
Title: Background and Fact Sheet
Link:https://bst.gc.ca/eng/medias-media/fiches-facts/A98H0003/info_a98h0003.html