#9, July 25, 2015: MC-130P Combat Shadow, 129th Rescue Wing
An MC-130P Combat Shadow combat search and rescue and tanker aircraft from the California Air National Guard's 129th Rescue Wing had to take evasive action to avoid hitting an unidentified object during a nighttime training mission on July 25, 2015 near Niagara Falls International Airport in New York State. While on approach to the airport, the pilot saw through their night-vision goggles an "object [that] appeared to be illuminated by a single external light]" and that looked to "be accelerating from left to right" in front of them.
"Immediately after seeing the object, the pilot took evasive action by executing an abrupt climb and roll to the left," according to the report. "Within one second of initiating evasive action the right wing of EA1 [Event Aircraft 1; the MC-130P] passed directly over the object."
The plane's navigator also reported having seen a "hot spot" on the aircraft's Infrared Detection System (IDS), which is meant to spot incoming missiles. No other members of the crew beyond the pilot said that had actually seen anything, but the incident was reported as a near-collision.