UFO Sighting Off the Coast of San Diego, California (Tic Tac-like Object, 100 Miles Offshore) (2004)

📍 Location

📝 Description

The November 14, 2004 Nimitz encounter occurred roughly 100 miles southwest of San Diego, California, in the Pacific Ocean. Four U.S. Navy pilots in two F/A-18F Super Hornets from the USS Nimitz intercepted and visually tracked a white, Tic Tac-shaped object about 40 feet long with no wings, rotors, or visible propulsion. The object hovered and then exhibited highly agile, ping-pong–like movements, matching and then outrunning the pilots’ aircraft while remaining near a disturbance on the water. The USS Princeton's radar also tracked multiple anomalous aerial vehicles over several days, eventually dropping from extremely high altitude to low altitude in seconds. A follow-on FLIR (infrared) video captured by Lt. Cmdr. Chad Underwood reportedly showing the object (FLIR1) contributed to the popular nickname “Tic Tac.” In subsequent years, the DoD publicly authenticated the videos (released in 2020) while stating the footage showed unidentified phenomena with origins and capabilities not explained by current technology. The topic has since been examined in detail by U.S. government bodies, including the ODNI’s 2021 Preliminary Assessment and later congressional/agency inquiries, which acknowledged data limitations and ongoing uncertainty but did not assign a definitive explanation. Updated reporting through 2024–2025 continues to treat the Nimitz Tic Tac case as an unresolved UAP observation rather than a debunked event.

🔍 Circumstances

Training exercise with the USS Nimitz Carrier Strike Group off Southern California. Princeton radar tracked anomalous aerial vehicles for days, prompting two F/A-18F sorties. Visual intercepts occurred about 100 miles southwest of San Diego; the encounter lasted several minutes with rapid acceleration and changes in altitude, including a move from near the water’s surface to higher speeds. A FLIR camera captured additional footage from a subsequent mission. The event is widely cited in UAP discussions and has been the subject of official video releases and hearings.

👤 Physical Description

Tic Tac-shaped, white, about 40 feet long, with no visible wings, rotors, windows, or exhaust plumes. Reported to hover over a water disturbance and then execute high-speed, abrupt maneuvers with no evident propulsion. Radar and FLIR footage corroborate unusual flight characteristics.

ℹ️ Additional Details

Radar data from USS Princeton indicated multiple anomalous aerial vehicles; FLIR1 video later released by the DoD authenticated but still unidentified in origin; ODNI's 2021 Preliminary Assessment acknowledged data limitations and continued uncertainty; the case remains a focal point in UAP discussions and subsequent AARO/ODNI inquiries.

🔗 Sources (6)

👥 Community Contributions

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