Tic Tac UFO Sighting off the Southern California Coast (2004)

📍 Location

📝 Description

The Tic Tac sighting from November 14, 2004 remains one of the most discussed UAP incidents involving Navy pilots off the Southern California coast. Radar from the USS Princeton tracked multiple anomalous aerial vehicles at altitudes above 80,000 feet that abruptly descended toward flight levels near the surface and then vanished. Two F/A-18F Super Hornets from the USS Nimitz were directed to investigate the contact, with Commander David Fravor (leading the intercept) and his wingman Lt. Cmdr. Alex Dietrich visually tracking a white, wingless, 40–50 foot-long object that resembled a Tic Tac. Fravor described the object as having no obvious propulsion or control surfaces, hovering above the water and then performing maneuvers far beyond conventional aircraft—accelerating away, changing altitude rapidly, and disappearing. A separate interceptor, piloted by Chad Underwood, captured the encounter on infrared video (FLIR), which popularized the name “Tic Tac.” In the years since, the U.S. Navy publicly acknowledged the authenticity of the three related videos (FLIR1/Tic Tac from 2004, and two from 2015, GIMBAL and GOFAST) but has cautioned that these objects remain unidentified. The incident prompted subsequent doctrinal changes to reporting processes for unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) and contributed to ongoing attention from U.S. intelligence and congressional oversight. As of the latest public disclosures and official assessments, there is no confirmed explanation or attribution (earthly origin, alien technology, or otherwise) for the Tic Tac sighting, and it is still categorized as unidentified. The broader context includes the 2021 DNI/U.S. government assessment that did not confirm extraterrestrial origins, and the creation of the AARO in 2022 to further investigate UAP incidents, including this case. It remains a focal point in debates about UAP transparency and national security.

🔍 Circumstances

Carrier Strike Group 11 training exercise off the Southern California coast (about 100 miles southwest of San Diego). The USS Princeton’s SPY-1 radar tracked anomalous aerial vehicles (AAVs) descending from high altitude to near-surface levels over several days. Commander David Fravor and Lt. Cmdr. Alex Dietrich were scrambled from the USS Nimitz to investigate; Fravor visually observed a bright, white, wingless Tic Tac-shaped object (~40–50 ft long) hovering above the water then performing rapid, non-conventional maneuvers before vanishing. A second intercept included an F/A-18F equipped with FLIR that captured video of the encounter. The Navy later released three videos (FLIR1, GIMBAL, GOFAST) publicly, confirming authenticity but not identifying the objects. The event prompted renewed interest and a formal push to de-stigmatize reporting of UAPs.

👤 Physical Description

An elongated, white, glossy object with no wings or obvious propulsion, approximately 40–50 feet in length, described visually as Tic Tac-shaped; observed hovering near the ocean surface and capable of rapid, high-G maneuvers. In infrared footage, the object appears as a small, bright, featureless shape with no identifiable exhaust or propulsion signature.

ℹ️ Additional Details

The event spurred public interest and formalized reporting channels; the 2021 DNI UAP report did not attribute the phenomena to extraterrestrial origins; the 2022-2024 AARO framework continues to investigate such incidents; the three publicly released videos (FLIR1/Tic Tac, GIMBAL, GOFAST) are authenticated but remain unexplained. Reports indicate additional non-public materials exist, including classified briefings and possible longer video footage referenced by former personnel.

🔗 Sources (6)

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