A pilot of a private jet reported seeing a "strange, small object" floating beside his aircraft thousands of feet above Rhode Island.

According to newly resurfaced audio shared in October by the YouTube channel VASAviation, the pilot contacted air traffic control at Rhode Island T.F. Green International Airport after spotting what he described as a small silver object near the wing of his plane, leaving air traffic controllers briefly stunned during a recorded exchange.

While flying at about 3,500 feet, the pilot said: "It appears to be standing still."

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In the recording, the pilot told controllers: "Looks like a strange, small object that we just floated by. A small silver canister. Do you know what that could be?"

Air traffic control informed the pilot there were no other reports of objects in the area and asked whether it could have been a drone or a balloon. The pilot rejected both possibilities.

He said: "I saw nothing attached to it. It was sort of hovering there. It was astonishing. I don't know what it was."

The object was reportedly observed near the right wing tip of a Piper PA-32RT-300T Turbo Lance II. The pilot said it appeared to fly alongside the aircraft for a short time before disappearing from view.

Ground controllers reacted with audible surprise during the exchange, with one saying: "Creepy," while another joked, "Good luck with the aliens."

Other pilots monitoring the frequency joined the conversation, with one remarking: "I want to believe him."

The Federal Aviation Administration said reports like this are formally documented when pilots raise concerns. If supporting information such as radar data corroborates the report, the FAA shares it with the UAP

The agency said in a statement to Fox News Digital: "The FAA documents UAP sightings whenever a pilot reports one to an air traffic control facility."