A ‘large white balloon’ like object was spotted flying just east of Hawaii yesterday afternoon (February 19).
Several pilots reported seeing the object above the area of Honolulu, according to The Sun.
Last week US officials claimed a Chinese ‘spy’ balloon was headed for the island but said that it had been blown off course.
READ MORE: US recovers debris from mystery balloon shot down which 'proves' it was used for spying
But the large balloon was sighted by pilots at an altitude of around 50,000 feet – though this has not been confirmed by Air Traffic Control or other US officials, as reported by Daily Mail.
Authorities have also not confirmed the identity of the object or said whether it poses any potential threats to the public.
An image of the device was posted to social media, appearing to show a pilot in the cockpit holding a note which reads: “Report of a large white balloon in vicinity of 2639N15021W. Estimated to be between FL400 and FL500. Precise altitude unknown. Advise ATC if object is seen.”
Oakland Oceanic Air Traffic Control Center confirmed the existence of the flying object which reported how the balloon was about 600 miles northeast of Honolulu, over the Pacific Ocean.
In recent weeks the US military have shot down several balloons, including on the size of a small car over Alaska.
Another, believed to be a Chinese spy balloon was shot down over the coast of South Carolina.
UK's most violent prisoner Charles Bronson to flog art in massive London exhibition
Last week Joe Biden said that the U.S. will be changing their guidelines for monitoring and reacting to unknown aerial objects.
Biden said officials suspect the three subsequent balloons were ordinary ones which could mean they were used for research, weather, recreational or commercial purposes.
Last week Government officials from the USA announced that they had recovered debris from the remains of one of the balloons.
Speaking on Friday, officials said: “The U.S. military, federal agencies, and Canadian partners conducted systematic searches of each area using a variety of capabilities, including airborne imagery and sensors, surface sensors and inspections, and subsurface scans, and did not locate debris”.
To get more stories from the Daily Star delivered straight to your inbox sign up to one of our free newsletters here.
READ NEXT:
- First footage of Lake Huron 'object' spinning abnormally in sky before being shot down
- Miss England finalist attacked on night out called 'snitch' for going to police
- '30 kids' terrorise UK estate where 'heads peed on' and sausage rolls used as weapons
- F35 pilots who shot down mystery object over Alaska say it 'interfered with sensors'
- Man arrested for driving stolen ambulance 'aggressively' while naked and on drugs
Source: Read Full Article