Unknown over CA
A witness account on file, unevaluated. Most of the archive rests here, and honestly so.
The report, as filed
I’m a 52-year-old retired F/A-18 pilot and tactical jet instructor for the US Navy/Marines. My current position is chief pilot for a corporate flight department out of Palomar CA “KCRQ”. I hold Airline Transport Ratings in single engine, multi engine and helicopters. I’m also a CFI/II/MEI as well as Helicopter CFI/II. I have a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Science from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University as well as US Navy/Marine Corps aircraft accident investigations / accident investigator for the US Marine Corps. On Aug 18, 2022, at approximately 03:20 while in our Gulfstream G650, call sign TWY670, in route from Miami “KOPF” to Maui “PHOG” at FL470 off the coast of CA, I witnessed 2 AUP’s high above our aircraft in a circular formation. Me being a retired Marine F/A-18 pilot who has conducted many aircraft intercepts throughout my career, immediately reported it to LA center. LA Center informed us that they had no known or unknown primary or secondary RADAR contacts in or around us or in their airspace period. I then turned our Traffic Collision Avoidance System “TCAS” to ABOVE mode also to receive no active aircraft activity as well. As I was continuing my reporting with LA center when another 2 UAP’s joined the formation. I then saw what I believed was a shooting star, but it stopped descending and joined the other 4 UAP’s in their circular orbit. I took my iPhone out and attempted to record the UAP’s as they moved over our aircraft. I lost sight of them and continued to discuss the encounter with ATC. Another aircraft also reported the incident, and LA center reported it to the FAA Presidential Aerial Security Administration in Washington DC. I received a phone call from LA center and also talked to the FAA Presidential Aerial Security office in Washington DC. Both agencies were very interested in the encounter. I was informed other aircraft had reported seeing the UAP’s over the phone but declined to acknowledge it over the radio.
Held as-reported from National UFO Reporting Center (record NUFORC #171341). Witness text is preserved verbatim, including its spelling; nothing is edited beyond formatting.
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For a dated, located U.S. sighting, FAA radar data and ATC communications are the records most likely to exist. Through Aletheca, the house instrument, anyone can commission the request — filed, chased, and published in the open, refusals included. The draft goes over already written: the records sought, and the date window they would live in.
Routed to: Federal Aviation Administration · records window 2022-08-15 → 2022-09-01
From the same sky
Related entries
October 15, 2023 · 10:50 PM · TEARDROP
CA
it is kinda spear shape with a red kinda flashing light on top with blu and white non flashing lights on bottom .... and its not moving not flying around.
October 8, 2023 · 5:00 PM · CHANGING
CA
I was looking at a clear blue sky. A light appeared in the sky, fairly high up. It looked like a red light or a star. I could just see the light. I thought it might be an airplane. I definitely looked like a UFO, so I started taking pictures. I have a Canon Digital Rebel T7 with a separate zoom lens. I took as many pictures as I could. The object disappeared, reappeared, and then finally disappeared. This lasted about thirty seconds. The object was moving slowly towards my right. There are about 40 photographs. The original images are here. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nM01oe9vw-AI3ANO0W29aHgGT9ga9xsU/view [NUFORC annotation: Balloon - Possible]
September 9, 2023 · 8:34 PM · CIRCLE
CA
There was one going across the sky shiny round. It looked to be. It was pretty far up in the sky going across the sky at a pretty fast speed I'm assuming and then following that another one same direction and then another one went crossways very fast speed as well
July 9, 2023 · 11:41 PM · EGG
CA
Gear: Night Vision Binoculars pointed NW. camera pointed at an almost 90 degree angle. An egg shaped object looked to be falling at a 45 degree angle. The object glowed white, had a red hue on the left and a blue hue on the right there was a faint trail behind the object. it isn't a satellite and doesn't have the characteristics of a fireball or comet.
June 21, 2023 · 10:55 PM · OTHER
CA
Gear night vision camera pointing NE. This is not starlink. Starlink train has a structured orbit in all formats even when de-orbiting in burnout.
April 7, 2023 · 2:35 AM · SPHERE
CA
I was operating a flight as a pilot from OAK-ONT. For about 10 minutes while flying south, looking eastb over the Mammoth portionof the Sierras, I saw 3 orbs of light alternately glowing bright and then fading. These objects were stationary relative to our aircraft during entire sighting, giving us the idea that they are very distant. However, these lights would reposition relative to each other and move in ways that showed incredible speed. Twice, one of the lights appeared to streak across the sky.