In November 2004, the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, engaged in training exercises off the coast of Southern California, experienced a series of events that would become one of the most well-documented and debated UAP (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena) incidents in history[1][5]. Over several days, Navy personnel encountered unusual objects exhibiting flight characteristics that defied known technology, culminating in a close encounter between fighter pilots and a mysterious “Tic Tac” shaped object[2][3][5].
Timeline of Events (November 10-16, 2004)
* November 10-16: The USS Princeton (CG-59), part of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group, began intermittently tracking unusual aircraft over six days off the Baja Peninsula[1][7]. These objects displayed fantastic agility, dropping from 80,000 feet to just above the water in a matter of seconds and hovering before zooming off at “high velocities and turn rates”[1][7]. They had no predictable flight pattern and didn’t fit known radar responses[2].
* November 14 (Morning): The Princeton, callsign POISON, asked an E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning and control aircraft to use its radar to attempt to paint a target in a particular piece of sky that the ship was tracking[7]. The E-2 crew initially saw what looked like just a wave, but it turned out to be a very faint target with no velocity indication[7].
* November 14 (10:00 AM approx.): Fighter pilot Commander David Fravor and Lt. Cmdr. Alex Dietrich were directed to investigate radar indications of a possible target about 100 miles southwest of San Diego[1][3]. The USS Princeton had been tracking unusual aircraft for two weeks prior to this incident[1].
* November 14 (Time not specified): Fravor and Dietrich located a disturbance in the ocean and observed an object, white and oval, hovering above it[1]. Fravor estimated the object was about 40 feet long[1].
* November 14 (Time not specified): As Fravor spiraled down to get closer, the object ascended, mirroring his trajectory, until the object disappeared[1].
* November 14 (Time not specified): Radar technicians on board the USS Princeton reacquired the object on their scope more than 60 miles from Fravor and Dietrich’s location[2].
* November 14 (Time not specified): A second wave of fighters, including weapons systems officer Lieutenant Commander Chad Underwood, took off from Nimitz to investigate[1]. Underwood recorded the FLIR (forward-looking infrared) video of the object and coined the description “Tic Tac” to describe the infrared image[1].
Eyewitness Accounts
* Cmdr. David Fravor (Fighter Pilot): Fravor described the object as a “little white Tic Tac-looking object” moving above the whitewater area[3]. He stated the object was about the size of his F/A-18F, with no markings, no wings, and no exhaust plumes[3]. When he tried to cut off the UAP, it accelerated so quickly that it seemed to disappear[3]. Fravor has testified before Congress about this[3].
* Lt. Cmdr. Alex Dietrich (Fighter Pilot): Dietrich corroborated Fravor’s account, stating she didn’t subscribe to conspiracies or wear tinfoil hats[2].
* Lt. Cmdr. Chad Underwood (Weapons Systems Officer): Underwood, who recorded the FLIR video, explained that he used the term “Tic Tac” to describe the infrared image[1]. He did not observe the object with his own eyes, focusing on tracking and recording it[1].
* Kevin Day (Radar Operator, USS Princeton): Day reported an odd sighting on his scope: strange objects, flying in clusters, that didn’t fit any known patterns and had no predictable flight pattern. The objects descended more than 80,000 feet in less than a second[2][5].
* Traffic Controller (American Jetliner): A traffic controller aboard an American jetliner reported seeing “a flight of four” UFOs “flying in a square formation”.
* Air National Guard Jet Fighter Pilot: Behind the United flight was an Air National Guard jet fighter, cruising at 41,000 feet, also eastbound. He too had monitored the radio reports of the UFOs, and a few moments later he reported: “Damn, they almost got me.” He went on to explain that the squadron of UFOs seemed to be headed directly for his aircraft until, at the last moment, the strange object abruptly changed course and climbed out of his path.
Descriptions of the Phenomena
* Shape: The object was described as white, oval, and “Tic Tac” shaped[1][3].
* Size: Estimated to be about 40 feet long, roughly the size of an F/A-18F[1][3].
* Movement: The object exhibited extraordinary maneuverability, including hovering, rapid acceleration, and the ability to descend from high altitude to near the water’s surface in seconds[1][7].
* Technology: Fravor testified that the object demonstrated capabilities “well beyond the material science and the capabilities that we had at the time, that we have currently or that we’re going to have in the next 10 to 20 years”[3].
Official Response and Ongoing Uncertainty:
The Navy acknowledged the Nimitz incident and released its video footage for the public to watch[2]. However, despite the available data, sensor information, and witness accounts, Department of Defense officials have stated that the incident remains unresolved[2].
The Nimitz incident remains one of the best-documented UAP reports on record[2]. The event’s compelling nature stems from the credibility of the witnesses, the corroborating sensor data, and the lack of a conventional explanation for the observed phenomena[2][3][5]. The incident’s enduring mystery lies in the object’s advanced capabilities, leaving many to speculate about its origin and purpose[3][5].
Read More
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentagon_UFO_videos
[2] https://coffeeordie.com/nimitz-tic-tac
[3] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tic-tac-ufo-sighting-uap-video-dave-fravor-alex-dietrich-navy-fighter-pilots-house-testimony/
[4] https://newspaceeconomy.ca/2024/09/02/timeline-of-major-ufo-uap-events/
[5] https://www.meer.com/en/79187-uss-nimitz-tic-tac-ufo-unveiling-inexplicable-physics
[6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_reported_UFO_sightings
[7] https://www.twz.com/21000/highly-detailed-report-on-harrowing-encounter-between-f-a-18s-and-ufo-off-baja-surfaces
[8] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85OhTbTtK_I