USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group encounter, 14 November 2004. Accounts of it involve several sensors, several platforms and several witnesses.
AAWSAP’s own investigation of it is the first of the BAASS Special Reports, B-001.
Witnesses
- Dave Fravor (CO, VFA-41): primary pilot witness
- USS Princeton crew with Spy-1 Radar
- E-2 Hawkeye crew
- F/A-18 pilots from VFA-41
Per Elizondo
“Spy-1 radar can detect a baseball size object at 80,000 ft. … something that is at 80,000 ft, then within a blink of an eye has the ability to drop down to 50 ft and then go right back up again instantly.”
Description
“White flying butane tank” / “Tic Tac”: no wings, rudders, exhaust. Demonstrated all Five Observables. Disappeared over the horizon, then reappeared at the CAP rendezvous 60 miles away in moments.
A note on the label
By PURSUE Release 02, “Tic Tac” has become a generic shape label. Uploaders apply it to unrelated clips, including 2024 U.S. Coast Guard footage, so the term now often describes a silhouette rather than a connection to this 2004 event.
Connections
Dave Fravor · USS Nimitz · USS Princeton · Spy-1 Radar · Five Observables · Luis Elizondo · AATIP · Gimbal Incident · PURSUE · U.S. Coast Guard · Kevin Day · BAASS Special Reports