Branchoria UFOs and UAP by Canadian Province UFOs and UAP by Canadian Province

Compare sightings, records, and explanations across Canadian provinces and territories.

Within Explanations

What a CADORS UFO report actually proves

A CADORS UFO label records an aviation concern, not a final finding that an extraordinary craft was present.

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On this page

  • Why pilots report unidentified lights
  • How preliminary occurrence records are created
  • What evidence would strengthen or weaken a case
Preview for What a CADORS UFO report actually proves

Introduction

A CADORS entry describing a UFO in Alberta is often misunderstood. It does not mean that Transport Canada has concluded an extraordinary aircraft was present, nor does it represent the outcome of a completed investigation. Instead, a Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS) record is an operational aviation occurrence created so that potentially relevant safety information can be shared quickly with aviation authorities and industry. If a pilot reports an unidentified light, object or possible hazard, that report may appear in CADORS before anyone knows exactly what was seen.[Transport Canada]tc.canada.caTransport CanadaCivil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS) Manual - TP 4044September 5, 2025…Published: September 5, 2025

CADORS Reports illustration 1

For readers interested in Alberta’s UFO history, this distinction is crucial. CADORS is valuable because it preserves contemporaneous reports from pilots, air traffic controllers and other aviation personnel. However, the database records the existence of an aviation concern rather than proving that an unexplained craft was present.

Why pilots report unidentified lights

Commercial and private pilots are trained to report anything that could affect flight safety, even when they cannot identify it immediately. An object does not need to be mysterious to justify a report; it only needs to be potentially relevant to aviation.

In Alberta, reports may originate from busy airspace around Calgary and Edmonton, military activity, regional airports, or aircraft crossing the province at high altitude. Flight crews have only seconds to assess unfamiliar lights while continuing to fly safely. Their first responsibility is hazard reporting, not solving the mystery.

This explains why reports may initially describe:

  • bright stationary or moving lights;
  • objects crossing a flight path;
  • possible drones or balloons;
  • unusual atmospheric or astronomical phenomena;
  • meteors or space debris;
  • objects that cannot immediately be classified.

Transport Canada has explicitly stated that the CADORS event category labelled “UFO” is broad. It can include remotely piloted aircraft (drones), balloons, meteors, weather phenomena and even birds, depending on the circumstances reported at the time. The label is therefore an operational classification rather than a judgement about the object’s true identity.[Transport Canada]tc.canada.caTransport Canada4. High Altitude Object IncidentsMarch 6, 2023…Published: March 6, 2023

How preliminary occurrence records are created

Understanding how a CADORS record reaches the public helps explain why these reports should be read cautiously.

A typical sequence is:

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  1. A pilot, controller or another aviation participant reports an unusual object or light.
  2. Air traffic services document the occurrence.
  3. The information is forwarded through the aviation reporting system.
  4. Transport Canada analysts prepare a CADORS entry using the information then available.
  5. The occurrence is distributed so that other aviation organisations are aware of a possible safety issue.

The important point is that this process is designed for rapid operational awareness, not for producing a final investigative report.

Transport Canada’s own CADORS manual states that the information should be treated as preliminary, unsubstantiated and subject to change. The database exists to circulate occurrence information efficiently, while formal accident and incident investigations remain the responsibility of other organisations where appropriate.[Transport Canada]tc.canada.caTransport CanadaCivil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS) Manual - TP 4044September 5, 2025…Published: September 5, 2025

Why Alberta CADORS entries can be misleading

Because CADORS records are public and searchable, UFO researchers frequently discover Alberta entries containing terms such as “UFO”, “unidentified lights” or similar descriptions. These are sometimes presented online as official confirmation of unexplained craft.

That interpretation goes further than the evidence allows.

A CADORS record usually tells readers:

  • that somebody reported something unusual;
  • where and approximately when it occurred;
  • what the initial observer described;
  • why aviation authorities considered the report worth recording.

It generally does not establish:

  • what the object ultimately proved to be;
  • whether multiple witnesses independently confirmed it;
  • whether radar supported the observation;
  • whether photographs or sensor data existed;
  • whether investigators reached any extraordinary conclusion.

The wording often reflects the uncertainty present during the event itself rather than uncertainty that remained after later analysis.

CADORS Reports illustration 2

What evidence would strengthen a case

Some CADORS reports attract continuing attention because they involve experienced flight crews. Pilot testimony deserves to be taken seriously, but aviation experience alone cannot determine the nature of an observed object.

A stronger case would normally include several independent forms of evidence, such as:

  • multiple aircraft observing the same object from different positions;
  • corroboration from air traffic controllers;
  • radar or other sensor confirmation;
  • precise timing allowing astronomical and satellite checks;
  • photographs or video with reliable metadata;
  • weather information consistent with the observation;
  • evidence excluding nearby aircraft, drones or balloons.

When several independent sources agree, confidence increases that the reported event occurred substantially as described. That still does not establish an extraordinary explanation, but it provides investigators with a firmer evidential foundation.

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What evidence would weaken a case

Many Alberta CADORS entries remain difficult to interpret simply because the available information is limited.

A report becomes less persuasive when:

  • only one observer saw the object;
  • no radar or electronic detection exists;
  • the viewing time was very brief;
  • the description changed significantly afterwards;
  • later checks identify known aircraft, satellites or astronomical objects;
  • weather conditions could plausibly account for unusual visual effects.

The absence of follow-up should not automatically be interpreted as suppression or confirmation. In many instances there is simply insufficient evidence to move beyond the initial operational report.

CADORS Reports illustration 3

How the Sky Canada Project places CADORS in context

The Office of the Chief Science Advisor’s Sky Canada Project reviewed how unidentified aerial phenomena are reported across Canada and described CADORS as one element within a broader reporting system.

The review explains that pilots generally report sightings through air traffic services, after which Transport Canada may create a CADORS record. Depending on the available information, analysts assign occurrence categories that include “Weather Balloon, Meteor, Rocket, UFO and Intelligence Sighting”, laser interference or other operational events. The report also emphasises that CADORS was created for aviation occurrence management rather than as a dedicated scientific investigation programme for unexplained aerial phenomena.[ISED Canada]ised-isde.canada.caOpen source on canada.ca.

This distinction helps explain why Alberta contains genuine pilot reports without implying that Transport Canada has verified extraordinary objects.

Reading Alberta CADORS reports responsibly

For anyone researching Alberta’s UFO history, CADORS is an important historical resource because it preserves reports that might otherwise have disappeared from the public record. It documents what aviation personnel reported at the time and shows that unidentified aerial observations are treated as legitimate aviation safety concerns.

The most reliable approach is to view each Alberta CADORS entry as the starting point for investigation rather than the conclusion. A report gains credibility when supported by independent witnesses, technical evidence and later analysis. It becomes less persuasive when it remains only a brief preliminary occurrence with no corroborating information.

That is why a CADORS entry labelled “UFO” should be understood as evidence that an unidentified object was reported, not evidence that an extraordinary craft was proved to exist.[Transport Canada]tc.canada.caTransport CanadaCivil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS) Manual - TP 4044September 5, 2025…Published: September 5, 2025

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Endnotes

1. Source: tc.canada.ca
Link:https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/aviation-publications/civil-aviation-daily-occurrence-reporting-system-cadors-manual-tp-4044

Source snippet

Transport CanadaCivil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS) Manual - TP 4044September 5, 2025...

Published: September 5, 2025

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

3. Source: tc.canada.ca
Title: Transport Canada4. High Altitude Object Incidents
Link:https://tc.canada.ca/en/binder/4-high-altitude-object-incidents

Source snippet

March 6, 2023...

Published: March 6, 2023

4. Source: tc.canada.ca
Title: Transport Canada 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

5. Source: ised-isde.canada.ca
Title: ISED Canada Sky Canada Project
Link:https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/science/en/office-chief-science-advisor/sky-canada-project

Source snippet

Canada ProjectDecember 3, 2025 — SKY CANADA PROJECT DISCLAIMER It should be noted that the Sky Canada Project is not intended to access a...

Published: December 3, 2025

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

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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: ised-isde.canada.ca
Title: ca Projet Ciel Canada
Link:https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/science/fr/bureau-conseillere-scientifique-chef/projet-ciel-canada

Source snippet

Ciel CanadaDecember 3, 2025 — PROJET CIEL CANADA AVERTISSEMENT Il convient de noter que le projet Ciel Canada n’est pas destiné à accéder...

Published: December 3, 2025

8. Source: ised-isde.canada.ca
Link:https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/science/fr/bureau-conseillere-scientifique-chef/projet-ciel-canada/gestion-signalements-publics-phenomenes-aeriens-non-identifies-canada

9. Source: ised-isde.canada.ca
Title: ca Questions and Answers about the Sky Canada Project
Link:https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/science/en/office-chief-science-advisor/sky-canada-project/questions-and-answers-about-sky-canada-project

10. Source: ised-isde.canada.ca
Link:https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/science/en/office-chief-science-advisor/sky-canada-project/preview-sky-canada-report-ocsa

11. 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

12. Source: tc.canada.ca
Title: ca4. Incidents d’objets à haute altitude | Transport Canada
Link:https://tc.canada.ca/fr/binder/4-incidents-objets-haute-altitude

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

14. Source: our-languages.canada.ca
Link:https://our-languages.canada.ca/en/writing-tips-plus/unidentified-flying-object-ufo

15. 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

16. Source: tc.canada.ca
Link:https://tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/reference-centre/exemptions-canadian-aviation-regulations-cars/exemption-standards-specified-cadors-manual-made-pursuant-section-80701-canadian-aviation-regulations

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

18. 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

19. Source: science.gc.ca
Title: Sky Canada Project
Link:https://science.gc.ca/site/science/en/office-chief-science-advisor/sky-canada-project

Source snippet

December 3, 2025 — SKY CANADA PROJECT DISCLAIMER It should be noted that the Sky Canada Project is not intended to access and collect fir...

Published: December 3, 2025

Additional References

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

Source snippet

What the Canadian government knows about UFOs...

21. Source: youtube.com
Title: the Sky Canada Project Report Preview (with Chris Rutkowski)
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGf_HpSxhM8

Source snippet

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

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

Source snippet

Unusual object spotted on Winnipeg flight...

23. Source: youtube.com
Title: What the Canadian government knows about UFOs
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntyUWhbtcqM

Source snippet

the Sky Canada Project Report Preview (with Chris Rutkowski)...

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

25. Source: nuclearsafety.gc.ca
Link:https://www.nuclearsafety.gc.ca/eng/acts-and-regulations/regulatory-documents/published/html/regdoc3-1-3/index.cfm

26. Source: noslangues-ourlanguages.gc.ca
Link:https://www.noslangues-ourlanguages.gc.ca/en/writing-tips-plus/unidentified-flying-object-ufo

27. Source: science.gc.ca
Link:https://science.gc.ca/site/science/en/office-chief-science-advisor/sky-canada-project/preview-sky-canada-report-ocsa

28. Source: laws.justice.gc.ca
Title: justice.gc.ca Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulations
Link:https://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/sor-2001-286/FullText.html

29. Source: canadianhelicopterforum.ca
Title: Who Is Responsible For Reporting Cadors
Link:https://canadianhelicopterforum.ca/topic/23089-who-is-responsible-for-reporting-cadors/