By Tim Binnall
A wild video circulating online shows a shockingly close encounter between an airliner and a colorful balloon that comes careening towards it in midair. The remarkable footage (which can be seen below) appears to have first popped up online by way of the social media account of an aviation enthusiast based out of Brazil earlier this month. Unfortunately, the circumstances in which the incident occurred are unknown, although the lack of details surrounding when and where the flight took place does little to diminish the jaw-dropping nature of the footage.
In the video, which was shot from the cockpit of the airliner, a dark object can be seen emerging from the clouds in the distance. Although initially mysterious, the oddity quickly comes into focus as it flies towards the plane. Growing larger and larger, the aerial interloper eventually reaches the plane and is revealed to be a colorful and fairly sizeable balloon that vanishes beneath the airliner, presumably not colliding with the craft.
While there is no doubt that the airliner encountered a balloon, the footage is a testament to just how difficult it can be to discern the nature of objects that are spotted in midair by pilots and those aboard aircraft. To that end, if the final moments of the video when the nature of the 'anomaly' becomes apparent were removed, it would fit seamlessly into the vast array of UFO videos that appear online every day. Fortunately, in this instance, we're left with an amazing scene rather than merely a midair mystery.