Events

2004 Nimitz UAP Encounter

A series of unidentified aerial phenomena observed and recorded by personnel of the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group off the coast of Southern California in November 2004.

Tic Tac incident; USS Nimitz UFO incident · 2004-11-14 · Pacific Ocean, approximately 100 km off the coast between San Diego and Ensenada, Mexico

The 2004 Nimitz UAP Encounter refers to a series of observations of unidentified aerial phenomena by personnel of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group in November 2004. On 2004-11-14, the USS Nimitz was conducting preparatory training approximately 100 kilometres off the coast between San Diego and Ensenada, Mexico, ahead of a deployment to the Middle East.¹ The USS Princeton, an Aegis-class guided missile cruiser operating as part of the strike group, had been tracking anomalous aerial objects for approximately two weeks prior to the principal intercept event.² Initial radar contacts placed the objects at approximately 8,500 metres altitude, travelling at a low speed of approximately 193 kilometres per hour.³ On the morning of 2004-11-14, Kevin Day, a radar specialist serving as a TOPGUN air intercept controller aboard the USS Princeton, confirmed a cluster of fourteen unidentified objects on his screen, with the USS Nimitz’s own radar corroborating the contacts.⁴ An E-2C Hawkeye airborne early-warning aircraft launched from the USS Nimitz also detected the nearest contact, providing further sensor corroboration.⁵ Radar data indicated the objects descended from approximately 24,000 metres to as low as approximately 15 metres above the ocean surface in approximately 0.78 of a second.⁶

Following a recommendation by Kevin Day to USS Nimitz Captain James Smith, an intercept was ordered.⁷ An initial sortie by Douglas Kurth, piloting an F/A-18F Hornet, was directed by the USS Princeton to the nearest contact at approximately 2 pm; Douglas Kurth observed only a circular disturbance on the ocean surface approximately 50 to 100 metres in size, with no aerial object visible.⁸ Shortly afterwards, Commander David Fravor and Lieutenant Commander Alex Dietrich were each airborne in F/A-18F Super Hornets, each with a weapons systems officer in the rear seat, and were diverted from their training mission to investigate the Anomalous Aerial Vehicle (AAV) contacts.⁹ The air controller relayed that the objects had been observed for over two weeks, descending rapidly from above approximately 24,000 metres to approximately 6,000 metres, hovering for extended periods, then accelerating back upward.¹⁰

Upon arriving at the contact location at approximately 6,000 metres, the four crew members observed an area of roiling white water approximately the size of a Boeing 737 in an otherwise calm sea.¹¹ Above this Water Disturbance, all four observers reported a white, Tic Tac-shaped object oriented with its longitudinal axis pointing north-south, moving erratically over the water with no rotors, rotor wash, or visible control surfaces.¹² The object was described as approximately 14.6 metres long, wingless, and white.¹³ Alex Dietrich maintained high cover at approximately 6,000 metres whilst David Fravor descended to attempt an intercept, affording her a simultaneous overhead view of the F/A-18F and the AAV.¹⁴ As David Fravor closed on the object, the AAV took evasive action and matched the aircraft’s movements, demonstrating no difficulty keeping pace with the F/A-18F.¹⁵ According to Kevin Day’s radar data, the object then descended from approximately 8,500 metres to the ocean surface in approximately 0.78 seconds.¹⁶ Approximately five seconds later, a radar operator aboard the USS Princeton reported the object had reappeared at the designated combat air patrol (CAP) point — an aerial rendezvous location approximately 97 kilometres distant, known only to a small number of Navy personnel and pilots.^17,18 The total duration of the visual encounter was approximately five minutes, observed under clear daytime conditions.¹⁹ The encounter was recorded using three distinct sensor modalities: multiple radar systems both shipborne and airborne, forward-looking infrared (FLIR) imagery captured by targeting pods aboard the fighter jets, and direct eyewitness testimony from four trained military aviators.²⁰ David Fravor subsequently testified that the AAV completely disabled the radar of the aircraft that attempted to achieve a targeting lock.²¹ After David Fravor returned to the USS Nimitz, the remaining fourteen UAP contacts on the USS Princeton’s radar accelerated back above approximately 24,000 metres in a fraction of a second.²²

The encounter was documented by radar, camera, and the four naval aviators involved.²³ Following the event, air crew filed reports, but David Fravor testified that no formal official investigation followed: none of the crew were formally questioned, and the recorded tapes were not collected by authorities.^24,25 The post-incident debrief was limited to a standard session in which the backseaters briefed the carrier intelligence centre. Approximately five years after the encounter, around 2009, David Fravor received a telephone call from a government employee conducting what he characterised as an informal investigation into the incident.²⁶ Around the same period, Luis Elizondo encountered the case and investigated it as part of the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program (AATIP).²⁷

The encounter gained widespread public attention in December 2017 when The New York Times published an article — subsequently identified as a key element of the 2017 NYT Pentagon UAP Article — that included an interview with David Fravor detailing the Tic Tac Sighting.²⁸ David Fravor testified before the House Oversight Subcommittee on 2023-07-26, noting that the six individuals involved in the encounter — those who obtained a visual observation and those responsible for the video recording — all went on to serve twenty or more years in the military in positions of responsibility.²⁹ David Fravor has consistently stated that the technology he observed was beyond current material science and capabilities, and assessed that this would remain the case for at least ten to twenty years from the time of his testimony.³⁰

References (30)

The USS Nimitz was conducting preparatory training approximately 100 km off the coast between San Diego and Ensenada before deploying to the Middle East.
“about 100 kilometres off the coast at a mid-point between the US city of San Diego and the coastal town of Ensenada in Mexico, the behemoth aircraft supercarrier USS Nimitz was undergoing preparatory training with other vessels in its carrier strike group before deploying to the Middle East”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Chapter 11, paragraph 1
The USS Princeton had been tracking anomalous objects for approximately two weeks before the intercept on 14 November 2004.
“sir, we've been tracking these things for about two weeks. That's we had been at sea for two weeks. He goes, this is the first time we've had planes airborne.”
David Fravor: UFOs, Aliens, Fighter Jets, and Aerospace Engineering | Lex Fridman Podcast #122 01:17:15
Objects were first noticed on or around 10 November 2004, flying at approximately 8,500 metres altitude at a low speed of approximately 193 km/h, off the coast of California.
“on November 10th that there is a few objects flying around at 28,000 feet with speed of what I guess is considered a low speed of 120 miles an hour”
David Fravor: UFOs, Aliens, Fighter Jets, and Aerospace Engineering | Lex Fridman Podcast #122 01:12:10
On the morning of 14 November 2004, Kevin Day again saw a cluster of 14 unidentified objects on his screen and confirmed the USS Nimitz's radar was seeing the same thing.
“Senior Chief Day again saw a cluster of 14 unidentified objects on his screen; this time, he confirmed the Nimitz's radar was seeing the same thing.”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Chapter 11, paragraph 4
An E-2 Hawkeye airborne early-warning aircraft launched from the USS Nimitz detected the closest UAP on its radar.
“The aircraft carrier also sent up one of its airborne early-warning aircraft – an E2 Hawkeye – and it detected the closest object on its radar.”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Chapter 11, paragraph 4
Kevin Day observed on radar that the UAPs plummeted from approximately 24,000 metres to as low as approximately 15 metres above the ocean surface in approximately 0.78 of a second.
“the cluster of UAPs was at one moment somewhere about 80,000 feet or higher, some were lower at 28,000 feet. Then, instantly (Day calculates it to be 0.78 of a second) the UAPs plummeted to hover at a range of different altitudes, spanning from 28,000 feet to one craft hanging just 50 feet above the surface of the ocean.”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Chapter 11, paragraph 5
Kevin Day recommended to USS Nimitz Captain James Smith that aircraft be sent to investigate the UAPs, and the captain concurred.
“Day recommended to the Nimitz's Captain James Smith that they send out aircraft to take a look, and the captain concurred.”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Chapter 11, paragraph 7
At approximately 2 pm on 14 November 2004, Lieutenant Colonel Douglas Kurth, piloting an F/A-18 Hornet, was directed to the closest UAP on radar and observed only a circular disturbance on the ocean surface approximately 50–100 metres in size.
“About 2 pm that afternoon the pilot of an FA-18 Hornet, Lieutenant Colonel Douglas Kurth, was directed by the Princeton to the closest UAP on their radar screen. Somewhere about 100 kilometres south-west of the Nimitz, Kurth arrived at the intercept point, but all he saw was a circular disturbance on the surface of the ocean, 50–100 metres in size.”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Chapter 11, paragraph 8
On 14 November 2004, David Fravor and Alex Dietrich, each with a weapons systems officer in the backseat, were diverted from their training mission to investigate the AAV contacts.
“On November 14, Fravor and Dietrich, each with a weapons system officer in the backseat, were diverted to investigate.”
Navy Pilots Describe Encounters with UFOs (60 Minutes) 00:07:39.3
The air controller told Fravor's flight that objects had been observed for over two weeks, coming down from over approximately 24,000 metres, rapidly descending to approximately 6,000 metres, hanging for hours, then going straight back up.
“the controller told us that these objects had been observed for over 2 weeks coming down from over 80,000 feet, rapidly descending to 20,000 feet, hanging out for hours and then going straight back up.”
House Oversight Subcommittee UAP Hearing – 26 July 2023 page 13
Fravor and Dietrich found an area of roiling white water approximately the size of a Boeing 737 in an otherwise calm blue sea.
“They found an area of roiling white water the size of a 737 in an otherwise calm blue sea.”
Navy Pilots Describe Encounters with UFOs (60 Minutes) 00:07:47.8
All four crew members observed a white Tic Tac-shaped object with a longitudinal axis pointing north-south, moving very abruptly over the water with no rotors, rotor wash, or visible control surfaces.
“All four of us, because we were an F-18F so we had pilots and WSO in the backseat, looked down and saw a white Tic Tac object with a longitudinal axis pointing north south and moving very abruptly over the water like a ping pong ball. There were no rotors, no rotor wash, or any sign of visible control surfaces like wings.”
House Oversight Subcommittee UAP Hearing – 26 July 2023 page 13
Navy Commander David Fravor observed from his F/A-18 a craft that was approximately 14.6 metres long, wingless, and white, which seemed vastly more capable than any known aircraft.
“For Navy Commander Dave Fravor, the 48-feet-long, wingless white craft he observed from the cockpit of his F/A-18”
Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs — Chapter 2 (image only) Foreword, paragraph 8
Fravor's wingman maintained high cover at approximately 6,000 metres, giving her a 'God's eye view' of both aircraft and the object simultaneously.
“She's watching me. which is, it's perfect as the story goes on, because it gives us two perspectives, you know, a perspective that's about 8,000 feet above us when that thing disappears.”
David Fravor: UFOs, Aliens, Fighter Jets, and Aerospace Engineering | Lex Fridman Podcast #122 01:23:47
The Tic Tac UAP took evasive manoeuvres to counter Fravor's closing F/A-18 Super Hornet and had no problem keeping pace with the aircraft.
“it began to take evasive maneuvers to counter and maintain distance between his aircraft that was closing in, by the way, an F-18 at the time, Super Hornet, one of the most premier aircraft on the planet at the time, and this thing had no problem keeping pace.”
The UFO Phenomenon | Full Documentary 2021 | 7NEWS Spotlight 00:16:02
As Fravor reached the merge plot, the UAP went from approximately 8,500 metres altitude to the surface of the ocean in 0.78 seconds.
“as soon as he's at the merge plot, that object went... It went from 28,000 feet to the surface of the ocean in 0.78 seconds.”
The UFO Phenomenon | Full Documentary 2021 | 7NEWS Spotlight 00:16:19
Approximately five seconds after the UAP disappeared, a radar operator radioed the F/A-18 to report the object was now waiting at the combat air patrol point.
“Five seconds later, you can do the math, one of the radar operators radios into the F-18 and says, sir, you're not gonna believe this, but the object is now waiting for you at your cap point.”
The UFO Phenomenon | Full Documentary 2021 | 7NEWS Spotlight 00:16:34
The combat air patrol point was an aerial rendezvous point approximately 97 km away, known only to a handful of Navy personnel and pilots.
“The cap point was an aerial rendezvous point 60 miles away, known only to a handful of Navy personnel and pilots.”
The UFO Phenomenon | Full Documentary 2021 | 7NEWS Spotlight 00:16:53
The entire Tic Tac sighting encounter lasted approximately five minutes, observed by four trained military observers on a clear day.
“this whole thing is like, this is like five minutes... We watched this thing on a crystal clear day with four trained observers”
David Fravor: UFOs, Aliens, Fighter Jets, and Aerospace Engineering | Lex Fridman Podcast #122 01:24:37
Three separate sensor types were used to track the Tic Tac UAP: multiple radar systems, FLIR images from targeting pods, and eyewitness testimony from trained fighter pilots.
“we had three separate sensor types all trained on the target. We had multiple radar systems, both airborne and aboard a ship. We had FLIR (forward-looking infrared) images from the targeting pod externally mounted to our fighter jets, and we had eyewitness testimony from trained fighter pilots”
Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs — Chapter 2 (image only) Chapter 7, paragraph 2
The Tic Tac completely disabled the radar on the aircraft that attempted to lock it.
“you can go back through history of things showing up in certain areas and disabling our capabilities, which is disheartening, and for us, I mean, like I said, it completely disabled the radar on the aircraft when they tried to do it and the only way we could see it is passively.”
House Oversight Subcommittee UAP Hearing – 26 July 2023 printed_page 39
After Fravor's encounter, the 14 other unidentified UAP targets on the USS Princeton's radar shot back above approximately 24,000 metres in a fraction of a second once Fravor returned to the USS Nimitz.
“once Fravor and his wingman returned to the USS Nimitz, in a fraction of a second, the swarm of other objects that had descended towards the ocean shot back above 80,000 feet”
Ross Coulthart UAP Book - Prologue, Chapter 1 & Chapter 2 Chapter 11, paragraph 15
The 2004 Nimitz UAP encounter was documented by radar, by camera, and by four naval aviators.
“an incident off Southern California in 2004, which was documented by radar, by camera, and four naval aviators”
Navy Pilots Describe Encounters with UFOs (60 Minutes) 00:06:30.3
After the 2004 Nimitz encounter, air crew filed reports but nothing was officially said or done for five years.
“The air crew filed reports. Then, like the mysterious flying object, the Nimitz encounter disappeared. Nothing was said or done officially for five years”
Navy Pilots Describe Encounters with UFOs (60 Minutes) 00:09:56.5
The Tic Tac incident was never officially investigated; none of Fravor's crew were ever questioned and the tapes were never taken.
“What is shocking to us is that the incident was never investigated. None of my crew were ever questioned. The tapes were never taken and after a couple days it turned into a great story with friends.”
House Oversight Subcommittee UAP Hearing – 26 July 2023 page 14
Around 2009, David Fravor received a phone call from a government employee who conducted what Fravor calls the 'unofficial official' investigation into the Tic Tac incident.
“i'd gotten a call on my cell phone from a guy who government employee... he said, hey, we're gonna investigate your Tic Tac thing. This is literally five years later.”
David Fravor: UFOs, Aliens, Fighter Jets, and Aerospace Engineering | Lex Fridman Podcast #122 01:45:22
Luis Elizondo came across the story of the 2004 Nimitz encounter approximately five years later and investigated it as part of AATIP.
“until Lou Elizondo came across the story and investigated”
Navy Pilots Describe Encounters with UFOs (60 Minutes) 00:10:04.2
The New York Times ran an inside story interviewing David Fravor and revealing details of the Tic Tac incident in 2004.
“The Times stories appeared the following day on the cover of the print edition of the Sunday paper. They ran two articles, written by Leslie Kean, Ralph Blumenthal, and Helene Cooper. Their front-page story revealed the existence of AATIP—that is, a secret program investigating UAP—and my role. Inside the newspaper, a second story interviewed Dave Fravor and Jim Slaight and revealed details of the Tic Tac incident in 2004.”
Imminent: Inside the Pentagon's Hunt for UFOs — Chapter 2 (image only) Chapter 21, NYT articles paragraph
Six people were involved in the Tic Tac encounter, and every one of them went on to serve 20 or more years in the military in responsible positions.
“Of the six of us that were involved in the thing, including the video, every one of us is going to do 20-plus years in the military in very responsible positions.”
House Oversight Subcommittee UAP Hearing – 26 July 2023 printed_page 43
David Fravor concluded that what he experienced was well beyond current material science and capabilities, and will remain so for the next 10 to 20 years.
“I think what we experienced was, like I said, well beyond the material science and the capabilities that we had at the time, that we have currently, or that we are going to have in the next 10 to 20 years.”
House Oversight Subcommittee UAP Hearing – 26 July 2023 printed_page 47

2004 Nimitz UAP Encounter

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