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UFO

The USS Franklin D. Roosevelt UFO Incident

Crew members of an aircraft carrier photographed a silver disc-shaped object that paced the ship for several hours.

September 1952
North Atlantic Ocean
50+ witnesses

The USS Franklin D. Roosevelt UFO Incident

In September 1952, crew members aboard the aircraft carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt observed and photographed a silver disc-shaped object in the skies over the North Atlantic. The object reportedly paced the ship for several hours, and multiple photographs were taken before it departed at high speed.

The Sighting

The USS Franklin D. Roosevelt was operating in the North Atlantic as part of Operation Mainbrace, a large NATO naval exercise. During daylight hours, lookouts spotted an unusual object in the sky.

The object was described as silver and disc-shaped, moving in ways that defied conventional aircraft capabilities. It would hover, accelerate rapidly, and make sharp turns that no known aircraft could execute.

The Photographs

Multiple crew members photographed the object. According to accounts, the photographs clearly showed a structured craft of unknown origin. The images were collected by intelligence officers and classified.

Some versions of the story claim the photographs were sent to the Pentagon and never returned to the ship. Others suggest they remain in classified files to this day.

The Response

The ship’s air wing reportedly scrambled fighters to intercept the object, but the aircraft could not match its speed or altitude. After several hours, the object accelerated and disappeared from view.

Witnesses

Several crew members have spoken about the incident over the years, confirming that something unusual was observed and photographed. Their accounts are consistent regarding the object’s appearance and behavior.

Assessment

The USS Franklin D. Roosevelt incident is significant because of the number of military witnesses, the alleged photographic evidence, and the context of a major NATO exercise. The involvement of an aircraft carrier with its complement of trained observers adds credibility to the account.

The case remains officially unexplained.