N14AQ Flight UFO Encounter

Open-source information on this event is fragmentary. Details below reflect best-effort collation from flight-tracking archives and social-media testimony — they should be treated as provisional until the primary crew can be contacted or additional sensor data emerges.

Event summary

During the pre-dawn hours of 5 February 2024 an Embraer Phenom 300 (tail N14AQ) operating a Part 135 charter sector from Van Nuys (KVNY) to Teterboro (KTEB) encountered a string of six luminous objects while cruising FL410 on airway J36 eastbound toward Omaha, Nebraska.

According to the right-seat pilot, the objects appeared between 50–100 NM ahead of the aircraft at altitudes estimated between 50,000 ft and 80,000 ft. The lights exhibited "extreme speed variations," grouping and splitting over a span of roughly one hour. No corresponding traffic was shown on TCAS. Attempts to capture the scene on a DJI Action 2 cockpit camera were unsuccessful due to framing and distance.

The encounter narrative was posted anonymously to r/UFOs within 24 hours; soon after, Redditors cross-referenced FlightAware data for N14AQ and produced a downloadable KML illustrating the jet's track across Nebraska 3. A matching case (ID 180290) later appeared in the NUFORC public database.

Characteristics (self-reported)

Feature	Observation
Object count	6 (at peak)
Color/appearance	Starlike white lights, no strobes
Maneuvering	Relative speed & altitude changes; occasional formation flight
Interaction	No radar/TFC return; no radio chatter
Duration	≈ 60 min
Weather	Clear, –56 °C at FL410; unlimited visibility

Timeline

UTC (approx)	Phase	Notes
10:50 Z	Cruise FL390	Initial sighting off nose, ≈34° up
10:57 Z	Step-climb FL410	Lights now six in number, differing altitudes
11:20–45 Z	Over Omaha VOR (OBH)	Objects persist, slowing then accelerating north-eastward
11:50 Z	Objects fade	Crew loses visual; continues uneventful to KTEB

Competing hypotheses

Candidate	Fit	Weaknesses
Starlink payload train	Multiple lights in formation	Reported large changes in relative speed & elevation not typical of orbital pass
Military high-alt balloons	Altitude plausible	Six independent targets maneuvering & varying speed unlikely
Atmospheric refraction / ice crystals	Known to produce bright points	Persistence over one hour & coordinated motion inconsistent
Unknown aerial technology	Accounts for silent, high-altitude maneuvering	Remains speculative without corroborating sensor data

Evidence archive

r/UFOs post: "Corporate jet crew sees six fast movers over Nebraska" (since removed; archive link).
ADS-B log and KML for N14AQ, FL410 leg KVNY→KTEB – FlightAware dump (mirrored locally).
NUFORC case 180290 – "Flying at FL390 then FL410 approaching Omaha..."

Full evidence packet stored in /content/encounters/n14aq-2024/evidence.zip

Current status

No radar, IR, or optical recordings beyond cockpit testimony have surfaced. FAA FOIA requests for KC Center (ZKC) audio on 05 Feb 2024 / 1030-1200 Z returned "no responsive records." The event is therefore catalogued with rating 2 (Anecdotal + minimal correlation) pending further material.

Command Palette