---
title: "FAA records detail reports of a silver sphere over a San Diego runway"
url: "https://usubjects.com/article/faa-records-detail-reports-of-a-silver-sphere-over-a-san-diego-runway-4603"
updated: "2026-11-05T16:25:08.684Z"
description: "Multiple aircraft and control tower witnesses reported a silver sphere over San Diego runway in 2026; Navy prepared to engage what they called an unauthorized drone. FAA records released recently, per November 4 article."
sources: ["https://aliennews.co.il/en/articles/san-diego-airport-silver-sphere-navy-north-island-2026"]
licence: "All rights reserved"
---

# FAA records detail reports of a silver sphere over a San Diego runway

Published: 2026-11-05  
Source: [aliennews.co.il](https://aliennews.co.il/en/articles/san-diego-airport-silver-sphere-navy-north-island-2026)

### Overview

**FAA records released after a Freedom of Information Act request describe a prolonged unidentified-object incident at San Diego International Airport on Sept. 4, 2026**, when multiple aircraft and control-tower personnel reported a reflective object near the departure end of a runway. The episode, which occurred at the start of the Labor Day weekend, halted departures and contributed to roughly **420 flight delays**, with average delays reaching about two hours.

At the time, the airport characterized the disruption as involving a drone and a weather balloon. The newly released material, however, provides a more detailed account of what pilots, controllers, law-enforcement personnel and nearby military officials reported. The records reportedly include **two FAA occurrence reports and two control-tower audio recordings**.

### Multiple Aircraft Report the Object

The principal FAA report states: **“Multiple taxiing aircraft reported drone directly over the runway departure end. All departures stopped.”** Controllers initially could not see the object, but the report says that “at least 7 plus aircraft” continued to describe it independently.

At approximately 2:30 p.m., controllers reported seeing a silver-colored object hovering north of the runway, over a taxiway. A United Airlines flight also reported the object. A San Diego County Sheriff’s Office helicopter responded and observed it, but was unable to capture video, according to the records described in the released files.

Later, at about 3 p.m., a Southwest Airlines flight reported another silver object approximately one mile beyond the runway at an altitude of about 1,000 feet. A second Southwest flight made a similar report eight minutes later. The return of the sheriff’s helicopter led one voice on the recording to suggest that **“there might be two drones out there now.”**

### “Almost Looks Like a Silver Sphere”

The tower audio provides the clearest description of the object. While speaking with a waiting aircraft, a controller referred to it as a drone and said operations would resume once it was removed or departed. The controller then described its appearance as **“probably metallic color because it’s reflecting a lot of light, almost looks like a silver sphere.”**

That description does not establish what the object was. “Drone” appears to have been the operational term used by controllers and officials, while the reported visual characteristics—metallic, reflective and apparently stationary—remain subject to interpretation. The absence of video evidence also limits the ability to independently assess the object’s size, propulsion or behavior.

### Navy Prepared to Engage

One of the most significant details in the FAA report concerns nearby **Naval Air Station North Island**, located across San Diego Bay. The report states that the Navy contacted the airport and said it had identified an **“unauthorized drone”** and was preparing to engage it.

The records indicate that multiple agencies and offices were notified. A separate account associated with the tower audio reportedly includes a remark that the object **“got shot down,”** although the available information does not establish whether a drone was actually engaged, whether an object was destroyed, or what happened afterward. No confirmed recovery, debris, imagery or official identification is provided in the source material.

### Questions Remain

The FAA files portray an incident that was operationally serious but still unresolved. Independent reports from numerous flight crews, direct observations by controllers and a sheriff’s helicopter, and military involvement all indicate that authorities treated the object as a credible aviation and security concern. At the same time, the records do not conclusively determine whether it was a conventional drone, a balloon, multiple objects or something else.

The contrast between the brief public explanation and the more detailed internal reporting is likely to prompt further questions about how unusual aerial incidents near airports are documented and communicated. For now, the released material confirms the disruption and the official response—but **not the identity or ultimate disposition of the reported silver sphere**.

## Provenance

This USUBJECTS page is a summary or digest of the linked original source. Any accompanying generated visual is an illustrative reconstruction, not evidence.