HALL II · 1986 — 2015

The Pilot Encounters

A class of incidents distinguished by trained observers, instrumented platforms, and corroborating radar. Civilian and naval aviators describe objects with flight characteristics outside the publicly documented capabilities of any nation's air force.

10 EXHIBITS · CHRONOLOGICAL

January 16, 1958№ 01

Trindade Island

Brazilian Navy photographs from the Almirante Saldanha

A civilian photographer aboard the Brazilian Navy research vessel Almirante Saldanha captured four photographs of a Saturn-shaped object passing the island. The negatives were developed onboard, examined by Navy officers, and released to the press at the personal direction of President Juscelino Kubitschek. The Brazilian Navy's investigation file was declassified in 2010 and made publicly available through the National Archives of Brazil.

· Brazil· Navy· photo

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October 18, 1973№ 02

The Coyne Helicopter Incident

An Army Reserve UH-1 over Mansfield, Ohio

Capt. Lawrence Coyne and three crewmen aboard a U.S. Army Reserve UH-1H Huey reported a cigar-shaped object that approached at high speed, hovered above the helicopter, and bathed the cabin in green light. The helicopter's collective pitch remained at descent yet the aircraft climbed several hundred feet. Mansfield Tower lost contact with the helicopter during the encounter; ground witnesses on the road below corroborated the lights.

· US Army· helicopter

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September 19, 1976№ 03

Tehran 1976 — the IIAF F-4 Pursuit

Two Imperial Iranian Air Force jets lose avionics

In the early hours of September 19, 1976, the Imperial Iranian Air Force scrambled two F-4 Phantoms toward a luminous object reported by civilians and confirmed on Mehrabad approach radar. Both aircraft suffered communications and weapons-systems failures as they neared the object; the pilots reported smaller objects detaching from the primary. The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency's four-page summary of the incident — written by the U.S. Defense Attaché to Iran — was distributed to NSA, CIA, and the White House.

· IIAF· F-4· DIA

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November 17, 1986№ 04

Japan Air Lines Flight 1628

A 747 cargo flight over Alaska

On a paris-to-tokyo cargo run, the crew of JAL 1628 reported being paced for nearly fifty minutes by two small craft and one larger 'walnut-shaped' object that the captain estimated to be the size of an aircraft carrier. Anchorage ARTCC observed an unidentified return on civilian radar; military radar at Elmendorf AFB produced ambiguous returns. The FAA investigation was led by Division Chief John Callahan, whose unedited radar data and crew interviews remain in the public record.

· FAA· aviation· radar

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November 14, 2004№ 05

USS Nimitz — the 'Tic Tac' Encounter

F/A-18F Super Hornet engagement off Baja California

Over several days the cruiser USS Princeton tracked anomalous returns descending from above 80,000 feet to sea level in seconds. On November 14, F/A-18F crews from VFA-41 — including Commander David Fravor — were vectored to investigate. They reported a smooth, white, oblong object approximately 40 feet long, with no visible means of propulsion, that responded to their approach and accelerated out of visual range. Forward-looking infrared (FLIR) footage from the encounter was later authenticated by the Department of Defense.

· U.S. Navy· FLIR· radar

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November 7, 2006№ 06

O'Hare Airport — Gate C17

United ramp crew sees a disc above a 737

At least a dozen United Airlines employees — pilots, ramp workers, and management — reported a disc-shaped object hovering over Gate C17 below the cloud layer, before it accelerated upward and punched a circular hole through the overcast. The FAA initially denied any reports, then released audio tapes confirming the sighting after a Chicago Tribune FOIA request.

· FAA· United· airport

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January 8, 2008№ 07

Stephenville, Texas

FAA radar tracks an object near Crawford airspace

Dozens of residents — including a constable and a pilot — reported a large, silent craft with rapidly reconfiguring lights. MUFON obtained FAA radar data via FOIA showing an unidentified return tracking toward President George W. Bush's Crawford ranch; the U.S. Air Force initially denied F-16 activity in the area, then revised the statement to confirm a training flight.

· FAA· radar· Texas

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April 25, 2013№ 08

Aguadilla — the CBP Thermal Footage

A Customs and Border Protection DHC-8 over Puerto Rico

A Customs and Border Protection DHC-8 surveillance aircraft recorded approximately three minutes of FLIR footage showing a small, fast-moving object that entered the Atlantic Ocean, continued underwater, and at one point appeared to split into two. The video was analysed by the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies, which estimated speeds inconsistent with any conventional birds, balloons, or drones, and ruled out flares, lanterns, and known military assets.

· CBP· FLIR· trans-medium

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November 11, 2014№ 09

Chilean Navy — the AS532 FLIR

Nine minutes of FLIR from a maritime helicopter

A Chilean Navy Airbus Helicopters AS332 Cougar recorded nine minutes of forward-looking infrared footage showing a flat, elongated object that appeared to expel a luminous plume. Air-traffic control reported no corresponding transponder. The Chilean civilian UAP committee CEFAA released the footage in 2017 after a two-year analysis that ruled out conventional aircraft and atmospheric phenomena.

· Chile· CEFAA· FLIR

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January 2015№ 10

GIMBAL and GO FAST

Atlantic Test Range engagements, VFA-11

Two short ATFLIR sequences recorded by F/A-18F aircraft assigned to Carrier Air Wing One. GIMBAL shows an oblong object rotating against the prevailing wind. GO FAST shows an object skimming low over the ocean at high apparent speed. Both videos were authenticated by the U.S. Navy in 2019 and re-released by the Department of Defense in April 2020. The pilots involved, including Lt. Ryan Graves, reported daily sightings during training exercises in the same airspace.

· ATFLIR· Navy· authenticated

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HALL I

The Modern Disclosure Era

Foundational Mysteries

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