The Chichester Tasman Sea UFO of 1931

In early 1931, Sir Francis Chichester - who would later become one of the most celebrated aviators and sailors in British history - was making his pioneering solo flight across the Tasman Sea when he witnessed something that would puzzle him for the rest of his life. A pearl-shaped object, flashing brilliantly, approached his small aircraft over the vast ocean before vanishing. Chichester later connected this strange sighting to unexplained compass deviations that had plagued his navigation during the flight.

The Witness

Sir Francis Chichester

His credentials:

• Pioneering aviator
• Later famous solo yachtsman
• First solo sailing circumnavigation (1966-67)
• Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II
• One of the 20th century’s great adventurers

Why His Account Matters

Chichester was:

• Expert navigator
• Experienced pilot
• Trained observer
• No motive to fabricate
• Reputation at stake

The Flight

The Context

What he was doing:

• Solo flight across Tasman Sea
• Australia to New Zealand
• Pioneering aviation achievement
• Small aircraft
• Over 1,400 miles of open ocean

Navigation Challenges

The difficulties:

• No landmarks for guidance
• Compass essential
• Weather unpredictable
• Fuel calculations critical
• Life-or-death navigation

The Sighting

What He Saw

Chichester reported:

• Pearl-shaped object
• Airship-like appearance
• Flashing brilliantly
• Approaching his aircraft
• Over open ocean

The Object’s Behavior

Its characteristics:

• Appeared suddenly
• Moved toward his plane
• Flashed or pulsed with light
• Pearl-like shape distinctive
• Then vanished

Duration

The encounter was:

• Brief observation
• Long enough to observe details
• Before it disappeared
• Solo witness situation
• Isolated over ocean

The Compass Connection

Navigation Anomalies

Chichester noted:

• Unexplained compass deviations
• During the flight
• Disrupted navigation
• Dangerous over open ocean
• No conventional explanation

His Theory

Chichester wondered:

• Connection to the object?
• Electromagnetic interference?
• Technology unknown?
• Related phenomena?
• Questions remained

Significance

This detail matters because:

• Suggests physical effects
• More than just visual
• Instrument interference
• Consistent with other UFO reports
• Pattern recognition

Analysis

Pearl Shape Description

What it suggests:

• Not conventional aircraft
• Smooth, rounded form
• Luminous quality
• No wings visible
• Unusual configuration

The Flashing

The light behavior:

• Brilliant illumination
• Pulsing or flashing
• Attention-getting
• Intelligent control?
• Purpose unknown

Open Ocean Location

Why this matters:

• No possibility of confusion with ground lights
• No other aircraft likely
• Isolated location
• Clear observation conditions
• Unambiguous sighting

Historical Context

1931 Aviation

The technology of the time:

• Propeller aircraft only
• Airships existed but looked different
• No pearl-shaped craft known
• Nothing matching description
• Genuinely anomalous

The Tasman Crossing

A dangerous flight:

• One of the most challenging routes
• Open ocean throughout
• Navigation purely by compass
• Weather could be deadly
• Few had attempted it

Chichester’s Later References

Speaking About It

He mentioned the sighting:

• In later writings
• Connected to navigation issues
• Never explained it
• Remained puzzled
• Honest about mystery

No Embellishment

His approach:

• Straightforward account
• No sensationalism
• Just reported what he saw
• Left interpretation open
• Scientific attitude

Connection to Other Cases

Ocean Sightings

Pattern recognition:

• Many UFOs seen over oceans
• Tasman Sea other incidents
• Pacific sightings common
• Water-related phenomenon?
• Geographic pattern exists

Pilot Encounters

Aviators and UFOs:

• Long history of sightings
• Credible witnesses
• Training helps observation
• Often reluctant to report
• Chichester an exception

Compass Effects

Electromagnetic phenomena:

• Commonly reported with UFOs
• Vehicles stop
• Compasses malfunction
• Electronic interference
• Physical effects documented

The Question

In 1931, Francis Chichester was alone over the Tasman Sea.

1,400 miles of open ocean. A tiny aircraft. A compass to guide him. And nothing else.

Then something appeared.

Pearl-shaped. Flashing brilliantly. Approaching his aircraft over the empty water.

What was it?

Not another plane - there were no other planes over the Tasman that day. Not a ship’s light - he was too high and too far from shipping lanes. Not a natural phenomenon - pearls don’t fly.

It came toward him. It flashed. And then it was gone.

But something else remained - the mystery of his compass. Deviations he couldn’t explain. Navigation thrown off by something invisible. Was it connected to the pearl-shaped object? Chichester thought it might be.

This wasn’t a man prone to fantasy. This was one of the greatest navigators of the 20th century. A man who would later sail around the world alone. A man knighted for his achievements. A man who knew the difference between the real and the imagined.

He saw something over the Tasman Sea.

Something that flashed and approached and vanished.

Something that may have interfered with his instruments.

Something he never explained.

Sir Francis Chichester, alone over the ocean, with only his skill and his compass between him and death.

And a pearl-shaped visitor that came from somewhere.

And went somewhere else.

Leaving only questions.

The Chichester Tasman Sea UFO.

Still unexplained.

Still impossible.

Still waiting for an answer.