Jefferson Township

O'Hare and the Hole in the Cloud

On 7 November 2006 a group of United Airlines staff at Gate C17 at Chicago O'Hare — mechanics, a supervisor, ramp crew — saw a dark disc hanging motionless above the terminal under a solid overcast. By their account it went up so sharply that it punched a round hole in the cloud, through which blue sky was visible for a couple of minutes. United and the Federal Aviation Administration at first denied receiving any report. After a Freedom of Information request from the Chicago Tribune, a recording surfaced of a controller discussing the sighting with a supervisor. The official explanation is a weather phenomenon. No flights were held, and no investigation followed.