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What Did the Porter Crew Nearly Hit?

The 2016 Lake Ontario encounter was a real aviation hazard, but the evidence does not establish an extraordinary craft.

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On this page

  • The evasive descent over Lake Ontario
  • Why investigators doubted the drone explanation
  • What the record proves and leaves unresolved
Preview for What Did the Porter Crew Nearly Hit?

Introduction

On 14 November 2016, a Porter Airlines Dash 8 approaching Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport made a sudden evasive descent over Lake Ontario after its crew spotted an unidentified object directly ahead of the aircraft. The manoeuvre avoided a collision but caused minor injuries to two flight attendants who were preparing the cabin for landing. The incident quickly attracted attention because early reports suggested the object might have been a drone. However, the subsequent assessment by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) concluded that the available evidence did not fit any known commercially available drone, leaving the object officially unidentified rather than explained or confirmed as extraordinary.[CityNews Toronto]toronto.citynews.caCityNews TorontoObject that caused near-collision with Porter plane not a droneNovember 23, 2016…Published: November 23, 2016

Porter Encounter illustration 1

Within Ontario’s aviation and UFO history, the case is significant not because it proves an unusual craft, but because it was a documented aviation safety event involving experienced flight crew, recorded through official reporting channels, yet ending without a definitive identification. It therefore occupies an unusual position between routine air-safety investigations and the broader history of unexplained aerial reports over the Great Lakes.

What Did the Porter Crew Nearly Hit?

The aircraft, a Porter Airlines de Havilland Dash 8-Q400 operating from Ottawa to Toronto, was descending towards Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport shortly after 7:30 a.m. while flying over Lake Ontario. It was approximately 55 kilometres east of the airport and flying at just under 3,000 metres (around 9,000 feet) when the pilots noticed an object directly ahead on their flight path.[CityNews Toronto]toronto.citynews.caCityNews TorontoObject that caused near-collision with Porter plane not a droneNovember 23, 2016…Published: November 23, 2016

According to the flight crew, the object initially appeared distant but showed little or no apparent sideways movement, making it difficult to judge its closing speed. As the aircraft approached, the crew realised that it was directly in their path and the captain disconnected the autopilot to perform an abrupt descent beneath it.

The aircraft did not strike the object and landed safely in Toronto. None of the 54 passengers were injured. Two flight attendants, however, were thrown against the cabin interior because they were still standing while securing the cabin for landing, suffering minor injuries that required medical assessment.[CityNews Toronto]toronto.citynews.caCityNews TorontoObject that caused near-collision with Porter plane not a droneNovember 23, 2016…Published: November 23, 2016

The Evasive Descent Over Lake Ontario

This encounter stands out because it was not simply a report of an unusual light. The pilots believed there was an immediate collision risk and acted accordingly.

Early operational information indicated that the object was:

  • directly ahead of the aircraft’s flight path;
  • apparently solid rather than luminous;
  • estimated at roughly 5 to 8 feet (around 1.5 to 2.5 metres) across; and
  • described as resembling an upright doughnut or inner tube.[CityNews Toronto]toronto.citynews.caCityNews TorontoObject that caused near-collision with Porter plane not a droneNovember 23, 2016…Published: November 23, 2016

That description has often been repeated in later UFO discussions, but it should be treated carefully. It represents the crew’s brief visual impression during a rapidly developing avoidance manoeuvre rather than a detailed examination of the object.

From an aviation perspective, the critical fact is not its exact appearance but that the pilots judged the collision risk to be sufficiently serious to override the autopilot and rapidly alter the aircraft’s flight path.

Unidentified object shot down over Lake Huron: What we know

Channel: WKYC Channel 3

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Why Investigators Doubted the Drone Explanation

When news of the incident first emerged, investigators stated that a drone was among the possible explanations. Given increasing concern over unmanned aircraft near airports in 2016, this was a reasonable initial line of enquiry rather than a conclusion.[CityNews Vancouver]vancouver.citynews.caOpen source on citynews.ca.

As investigators gathered information, however, that explanation became increasingly difficult to support.

The Transportation Safety Board ultimately stated that:[calgary.citynews.ca]calgary.citynews.caca Investigation underway after suspected drone almost crashed into Porter planeca Investigation underway after suspected drone almost crashed into Porter plane

  • the object’s reported dimensions did not correspond to known commercial or consumer drones;
  • the encounter occurred too far offshore; and
  • the altitude was well beyond where ordinary recreational drones would normally be expected to operate.

For those reasons, the Board closed the occurrence without identifying the object as a drone. Instead, it classified the event as a near collision with an unidentified airborne object.[CityNews Toronto]toronto.citynews.caCityNews TorontoObject that caused near-collision with Porter plane not a droneNovember 23, 2016…Published: November 23, 2016

Importantly, this finding does not mean investigators believed the object was extraordinary. Rather, it means the available evidence was insufficient to determine what it actually was.

Porter Encounter illustration 2

What the Record Proves and Leaves Unresolved

The official record establishes several points with a high degree of confidence.

It confirms that:

  • the Porter crew genuinely observed an object they considered hazardous;
  • the pilots performed an evasive manoeuvre;
  • two cabin crew members received minor injuries during that manoeuvre;
  • no collision occurred; and
  • investigators were unable to identify the object with confidence.[CityNews Toronto]toronto.citynews.caCityNews TorontoObject that caused near-collision with Porter plane not a droneNovember 23, 2016…Published: November 23, 2016

At the same time, several important questions remain unanswered.

The investigation did not establish:

  • whether the object was man-made or natural;
  • whether it was stationary or moving independently;
  • how far it actually was from the aircraft before the avoidance manoeuvre;
  • whether it was a balloon, an unconventional aircraft, debris or another airborne object; or
  • any physical evidence, radar track or recovered material identifying it conclusively.

The lack of a definitive identification reflects the limitations of a brief visual encounter rather than evidence for an exotic explanation.

Landing At Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) | Porter Airlines E195-E2

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Why the Case Matters in Ontario’s UFO History

Many Ontario UFO reports consist only of eyewitness descriptions of unusual lights, making later evaluation difficult. The Porter incident differs because it entered Canada’s aviation safety system as a documented operational event.

Experienced commercial pilots reported the object while performing professional duties rather than seeking an unexplained phenomenon. The event also produced measurable operational consequences: an avoidance manoeuvre, recorded crew injuries and official investigation.

That combination gives the case greater evidential weight than many civilian sighting reports. However, stronger evidence for the encounter itself should not be confused with stronger evidence for an extraordinary object. The official record supports the reality of the aviation hazard but not any particular explanation for its cause.[CityNews Toronto]toronto.citynews.caCityNews TorontoObject that caused near-collision with Porter plane not a droneNovember 23, 2016…Published: November 23, 2016

Air traffic control audio: Flight almost hits unidentified object over Lake Ontario on Nov. 14, 2016

Channel: daniel otis

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A Balanced Assessment

The 2016 Porter Airlines encounter remains one of Ontario’s most credible reports of an unidentified airborne object because it involved trained pilots, an immediate safety response and an official investigation. It is also one of the clearest examples of why “unidentified” is not synonymous with “extraordinary.”

Investigators rejected the simplest early explanation—that the object was an ordinary consumer drone—but they also found no evidence supporting claims of an advanced or non-human craft. The available information documents a genuine near-collision with something the crew could not identify. Beyond that, the evidence does not permit reliable conclusions.

Within the broader history of Great Lakes sightings, the Porter incident therefore serves as an important reminder that some aviation encounters remain unresolved without necessarily becoming evidence for extraordinary phenomena.

Porter Encounter illustration 3

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Endnotes

1. Source: toronto.citynews.ca
Link:https://toronto.citynews.ca/2016/11/23/object-caused-near-collision-porter-plane-not-drone/

Source snippet

CityNews TorontoObject that caused near-collision with Porter plane not a droneNovember 23, 2016...

Published: November 23, 2016

2. Source: vancouver.citynews.ca
Link:https://vancouver.citynews.ca/2016/11/14/mid-air-near-miss-caused-drone-torontos-city-centre-airport-tsb/

3. Source: kitchener.citynews.ca
Title: ca Investigators can’t identify object that caused Porter plane’s evasive moves
Link:https://kitchener.citynews.ca/2016/11/23/investigators-cant-identify-object-caused-porter-planes-evasive-moves/

4. Source: calgary.citynews.ca
Title: ca Investigation underway after suspected drone almost crashed into Porter plane
Link:https://calgary.citynews.ca/2016/11/14/investigation-underway-after-suspected-drone-almost-crashed-into-porter-plane/

5. Source: toronto.citynews.ca
Title: ca Two hurt in mid-flight as Porter Airlines plane evades possible drone
Link:https://toronto.citynews.ca/2016/11/14/two-hurt-in-mid-flight-as-porter-airlines-plane-evades-suspected-drone/

Additional References

6. Source: tsb.gc.ca
Link:https://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/aviation/2024/a24a0038/a24a0038.html

Source snippet

Air transportation safety investigation report A24A0038 - Transportation Safety Board of CanadaFebruary 6, 2025 — AIR TRANSPORTATION SAFE...

Published: February 6, 2025

7. Source: ktvz.com
Title: UF Os: Canadian air force responds to ‘threats’ with CF-18 fighter jets
Link:https://ktvz.com/cnn-regional/2022/11/01/ufos-canadian-air-force-responds-to-threats-with-cf-18-fighter-jets/

Source snippet

UFOs: Canadian air force responds to 'threats' with CF-18 fighter jets - KTVZNovember 1, 2022 — Clearly labelled “UFO Sighting,” the heli...

Published: November 1, 2022

8. Source: youtube.com
Title: Landing At Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) | Porter Airlines E195-E2
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_J-ATSzKic

Source snippet

Air traffic control audio: Flight almost hits unidentified object over Lake Ontario on Nov. 14, 2016 daniel otis · 3K views Canadian jour...

9. Source: vice.com
Title: Canadese piloten blijven maar meldingen van ufo’s maken
Link:https://www.vice.com/nl/article/ufos-in-canada/

Source snippet

April 30, 2021 — CANADESE PILOTEN BLIJVEN MAAR MELDINGEN VAN UFO’S MAKEN Door Daniel Otis april 30, 2021, 5:27am Deel: * * * In de ochten...

Published: April 30, 2021

10. Source: vice.com
Title: I piloti di linea continuano a segnalare avvistamenti di UFO nei cieli canadesi
Link:https://www.vice.com/it/article/avvistamenti-ufo-canada-recenti/

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Un’informativa iniziale, costituita da una sola frase inserita nel CADORS, segnala che i...

11. Source: reddit.com
Title: Pilots report having to make evasive maneuver to avoid striking donut shaped UAV
Link:https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/1m4jha6

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Pilots report having to make evasive maneuver to avoid striking donut shaped UAV...

12. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VQRoDa8JX4

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Canadian journalist calls for total government transparency on UAP reports | Reality Check...

13. Source: youtube.com
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu-Yv3thTEI

Source snippet

NORAD commander talks about unidentified object shot down over Lake Huron...

14. Source: youtube.com
Title: NORAD commander talks about unidentified object shot down over Lake Huron
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XZsltDnbG0

Source snippet

Unidentified object shot down over Lake Huron: What we know...

15. Source: youtube.com
Title: Unidentified object shot down over Lake Huron: What we know
Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8e-tpLoF_k

Source snippet

Landing At Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) | Porter Airlines E195-E2...