A pilot told British aviation authorities how he had almost crashed into a rugby-ball-shaped UFO while flying near Heathrow Airport in London.

Foreign media outlets reported that the captain of a passenger jet spotted the identified object flying directly toward him and was gone after he maneuvered immediately to avoid collision, leaving no time to alert the first officer.

The pilot informed the investigators of the mysterious object, describing it had been “within meters” and “silver, metallic and rugby-ball like” in appearance.

The UK Airprox Board, responsible for investigating such cases, stated no other aircraft was present at the time. For flight safety of other carriers, however, the Civil Aviation Authority in London will further look into the reports.

The incident happened on July 13 last year but details were disclosed only recently with the publication of an incident report. The report did not mention the name of the airline or flight involved, but foreign media speculated an Airbus A320 had been cruising over the Berkshire countryside in London at the time.

By Yoon Ha-youn and news reports