The USS Nimitz Tic Tac Encounter

On November 14, 2004, Navy fighter pilots from the USS Nimitz encountered an unidentified aerial object that demonstrated capabilities far beyond any known technology. The encounter, officially confirmed by the Pentagon in 2017, helped legitimize UFO discussion in mainstream media and government.

The Background

The USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group was conducting training exercises off the coast of San Diego when radar operators began tracking anomalous objects. The USS Princeton had been tracking strange radar contacts for two weeks—objects that appeared at 80,000 feet, dropped to sea level in seconds, and hovered.

The Intercept

On November 14, Commander David Fravor and Lieutenant Commander Alex Dietrich were vectored to intercept one of the contacts in their F/A-18 Super Hornets.

Arriving at the coordinates, they observed a disturbance in the water below—a cross-shaped pattern suggesting a large submerged object. Above the disturbance, a white, oblong object was moving erratically.

The Object

Fravor and Dietrich described:

• Approximately 40 feet long
• White, smooth, tic-tac or capsule-shaped
• No visible wings, rotors, or exhaust
• No visible propulsion system
• Capable of instantaneous acceleration

The object appeared aware of the aircraft, mirroring Fravor’s movements when he attempted to intercept.

The Engagement

When Fravor descended to engage, the object accelerated toward him, crossing beneath his aircraft, then suddenly appeared at his CAP (combat air patrol) point 60 miles away—having traveled the distance in seconds.

A second flight was launched, with Lieutenant Chad Underwood capturing the now-famous FLIR (infrared) video showing the object’s unusual characteristics.

The FLIR Video

The “FLIR1” or “Tic Tac” video shows:

• An oblong object with no visible propulsion
• Rapid rotation without apparent effect on trajectory
• Sudden acceleration off-screen
• Lock-on by the targeting system

The video became one of three released by the Pentagon in 2017.

Official Confirmation

In December 2017, the New York Times published an article revealing:

• The Pentagon had a secret UFO study program (AATIP)
• The Nimitz encounter was considered credible
• The government took UFO reports seriously

The Pentagon officially released the three videos in April 2020, confirming their authenticity.

Witness Testimony

Multiple service members have spoken publicly:

David Fravor: Described the encounter in numerous interviews, maintaining the object was technology beyond human capability.

Kevin Day: The radar operator who tracked the objects, described their impossible performance characteristics.

Chad Underwood: The pilot who filmed the FLIR video, confirmed the object’s unusual behavior.

Investigation

The case was investigated by:

• AATIP (Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program)
• All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO)
• Congressional hearings on UAP

No conventional explanation has been officially accepted.

Significance

The Nimitz encounter changed UFO discourse:

• Multiple trained military observers
• Radar and FLIR confirmation
• Official Pentagon acknowledgment
• Congressional interest in UAP
• Mainstream media coverage

Legacy

The Tic Tac encounter represents a new era in UFO history—one where official confirmation replaces official denial. The case demonstrates that military encounters with unexplained objects continue to occur, are taken seriously at the highest levels, and remain unexplained by conventional technology.