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Military Witnesses

David Fravor

Retired U.S. Navy Commander / Nimitz Pilot

U.S. Navy — VFA-41 "Black Aces"

Retired
Testified to Congress under oathPublic since 2017

David Fravor is a retired U.S. Navy Commander and experienced F/A-18F pilot who led the flight element that intercepted the now-famous "Tic Tac" object during a training exercise off the coast of California in November 2004. The encounter is one of the most thoroughly documented UAP cases in history, supported by radar data, pilot testimony, and authenticated gun camera footage.

Background

Fravor had over 16 years of flying experience and was commanding officer of VFA-41, the "Black Aces" strike fighter squadron, aboard the USS Nimitz in November 2004. During a training exercise, he and three other pilots were directed by USS Princeton to investigate unusual radar contacts that had been tracked for several days.

What Fravor and his wingman Alex Dietrich observed was a roughly 40-foot white, oblong object — described as "Tic Tac"-shaped — hovering at low altitude over the ocean with no visible means of propulsion, no wings, no rotors, and no exhaust signature. The object demonstrated extraordinary manoeuvrability, mirroring his aircraft's movements and then accelerating to disappear instantaneously.

Fravor has described the encounter in hundreds of interviews and before Congress, and his account has remained consistent. The U.S. Navy confirmed in 2019 that the FLIR1 video of the encounter is authentic and that the object remains officially "unexplained." Fravor has been unambiguous: "I think it's not from this world."

Key Claims

  • ▸Observed a "Tic Tac" shaped object approximately 40 feet in length with no visible propulsion
  • ▸The object mirrored his aircraft's manoeuvres, demonstrating apparent awareness of his presence
  • ▸The object instantaneously accelerated to a pre-briefed CAP point 60 miles away when he attempted to close on it
  • ▸No known human technology could replicate what he observed in 2004 — or today
  • ▸The encounter was tracked on multiple radar systems simultaneously, corroborating the visual account

Evidence Provided

  • 1.FLIR1 gun camera footage (authenticated by U.S. Navy 2019)
  • 2.USS Princeton radar data tracking objects for days prior to the intercept
  • 3.Multiple pilot eyewitness accounts (Fravor, Dietrich, and two backseaters)
  • 4.Congressional testimony under oath (2023)

Timeline

Nov 2004

Intercepts "Tic Tac" UAP during USS Nimitz COMPTUEX off southern California

2017

Goes on record with The New York Times after FLIR1 video is published

2019

U.S. Navy officially confirms FLIR1 video is authentic and the object remains unexplained

Jul 2023

Testifies under oath before House Oversight Subcommittee on National Security

Credibility Assessment

Widely regarded as one of the most credible UAP witnesses on record. Career naval aviator with no history of anomalous reporting prior to the Nimitz incident. His account has been consistent across seven years of public interviews.

Related Figures

Ryan GravesAlex DietrichKevin DayGary Voorhis

Editorial note: All profiles are compiled from public record, testimony, and published sources. Unverified claims are noted. Project Strange does not assert the truth or falsity of any individual's claims.