Global UFO Archive
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Country dossier

UFO sightings in the United States: documented cases, reports, and evidence

The United States has 57 documented UFO/UAP cases in this archive, spanning 1942 to 2024. This page groups the national record so readers can compare case dates, evidence types, official context, and representative reports before opening the full dossiers.

Archive profile

United States

Case count
57
Time span
1942-2024
Main evidence types
Witness reports / Official records / Images and video / Aviation context / Press and public records
Representative cases
2024 U.S. Drone SightingsIn late 2024, reports of drones and unusual lights across New Jersey and the northeastern United States prompted federal investigations, flight restrictions, and public concern. Authorities said many reports matched lawful drones, aircraft, stars, or planets, while confirmed drone activity near sensitive sites remained a real airspace-security issue. This dossier separates verified events from viral claims.2023 high-altitude object eventsThe 2023 high-altitude object events were a short but intense North American airspace crisis that followed the Chinese surveillance balloon incident. In less than two weeks, U.S. and Canadian authorities tracked and shot down several objects over Alaska, Yukon and Lake Huron. The public mystery was dramatic, but the best-supported reading is more practical than exotic: radar sensitivity, aviation safety concerns, balloons, possible research or commercial platforms, and uncertainty over debris recovery combined into a modern UAP-adjacent security episode.Eglin AFB UAP case resolutionOn 26 January 2023, a military pilot operating in the Eglin Air Force Base training range off Florida reported four potential UAP as a flight-safety and range-incursion concern. AARO later resolved the case as very likely a lighter-than-air object, such as a large commercial lighting balloon, with moderate confidence and no confirmed anomalous behavior. The case is valuable because it shows how a modern official UAP report can move from uncertainty to a documented conventional assessment.Los Angeles jetpack man reportsPilots reported a human-like object near Los Angeles airspace, prompting FAA and FBI attention.

Complete case list

United States

57 of 57 cases
2024 U.S. Drone SightingsIn late 2024, reports of drones and unusual lights across New Jersey and the northeastern United States prompted federal investigations, flight restrictions, and public concern. Authorities said many reports matched lawful drones, aircraft, stars, or planets, while confirmed drone activity near sensitive sites remained a real airspace-security issue. This dossier separates verified events from viral claims.United StatesGrade B / DISPUTED2023 high-altitude object eventsThe 2023 high-altitude object events were a short but intense North American airspace crisis that followed the Chinese surveillance balloon incident. In less than two weeks, U.S. and Canadian authorities tracked and shot down several objects over Alaska, Yukon and Lake Huron. The public mystery was dramatic, but the best-supported reading is more practical than exotic: radar sensitivity, aviation safety concerns, balloons, possible research or commercial platforms, and uncertainty over debris recovery combined into a modern UAP-adjacent security episode.United StatesGrade B / EXPLAINEDEglin AFB UAP case resolutionOn 26 January 2023, a military pilot operating in the Eglin Air Force Base training range off Florida reported four potential UAP as a flight-safety and range-incursion concern. AARO later resolved the case as very likely a lighter-than-air object, such as a large commercial lighting balloon, with moderate confidence and no confirmed anomalous behavior. The case is valuable because it shows how a modern official UAP report can move from uncertainty to a documented conventional assessment.United StatesGrade A / EXPLAINEDLos Angeles jetpack man reportsPilots reported a human-like object near Los Angeles airspace, prompting FAA and FBI attention.United StatesGrade C / DISPUTEDUSS Omaha sphere videoThe USS Omaha case centers on a July 2019 infrared-display video showing a round target over the ocean and an operator calling 'splash' as it disappears; the footage was taken by Navy personnel, but the public clip does not prove that an object entered the water.United StatesGrade B / UNRESOLVEDGimbal UAP videoA U.S. Navy infrared video known as Gimbal shows an object apparently rotating during a training flight.United StatesGrade A / UNRESOLVEDGoFast UAP videoGoFast is a January 2015 U.S. Navy infrared video whose apparent near-surface high speed became a central UAP claim; AARO's 2025 analysis assessed with high confidence that the object showed no anomalous performance.United StatesGrade A / DISPUTEDMorristown UFO hoaxRed lights over New Jersey were later admitted to be a staged hoax using balloons and flares.United StatesGrade A / EXPLAINEDStephenville UFO sightingsResidents reported large silent objects near Stephenville, later tied by some to military training flights.United StatesGrade B / DISPUTEDChicago O'Hare UFO sightingAirport employees reported a disc-like object over O'Hare that appeared to punch through clouds.United StatesGrade B / UNRESOLVEDNimitz Tic Tac UFO encounterThe Nimitz Tic Tac encounter is one of the strongest modern military UAP cases because it combines trained aviator testimony, shipboard radar claims, infrared video, and later official acknowledgement that the video records unidentified aerial phenomena.United StatesGrade A / UNRESOLVEDPhoenix LightsThe Phoenix Lights became one of the best-known mass-sighting cases of the 1990s because many people across Arizona reported a large formation or lights, while later video of separate lights was linked to military flares.United StatesGrade B / EXPLAINEDGulf Breeze UFO incidentThe Gulf Breeze case is a late-1980s Florida photo controversy centered on Ed Walters and a series of alleged UFO images. It is useful for studying how spectacular photographs can divide witnesses, investigators, and local media.United StatesGrade C / DISPUTEDJapan Air Lines Flight 1628A cargo crew reported large unidentified objects while flying over Alaska.United StatesGrade B / UNRESOLVEDJapan Airlines Flight 1628 UFO incidentOn November 17, 1986, the crew of Japan Air Lines cargo flight 1628 reported unusual lights and a large dark object while flying over eastern Alaska toward Anchorage. The case is historically important because it generated pilot testimony, air-traffic communications, radar discussion and a large FAA file later found in the National Archives, while skeptical reviews have proposed celestial, radar and cloud-related explanations.United StatesGrade B / DISPUTEDHudson Valley UFO waveThousands reported large V-shaped or boomerang-like lights over the Hudson Valley region.United StatesGrade B / DISPUTEDCash-Landrum incidentThe Cash-Landrum incident is a disputed Texas close-encounter case in which witnesses reported a bright object, helicopters, and later health effects. It is important because it connects UFO testimony with injury claims and unsuccessful legal action.United StatesGrade C / DISPUTEDVal Johnson incidentSheriff's deputy Val Johnson reported an encounter with a bright light that damaged his patrol car.United StatesGrade C / DISPUTEDCannon AFB UFO reportThe Cannon AFB report is a New Mexico airbase case most often encountered through secondary investigation archives and witness retellings. It has search value because of the location and military setting, but the public primary record is thinner than stronger Blue Book-era cases.United StatesGrade C / INSUFFICIENT DATA1975 Loring AFB UFO incursionsOn 27 and 28 October 1975, personnel at Loring Air Force Base in Maine reported unidentified low-level aerial activity near the weapons storage area. Security, tower and radar accounts prompted alerts and an attempted response. The incident belongs to a broader two-week series of 1975 reports at U.S. strategic bases.United StatesGrade B / UNRESOLVEDTravis Walton abductionThe Travis Walton case is one of the best-known abduction claims, involving a logging crew in Arizona, a missing-person search, and Walton's later account of a craft encounter. It is influential but remains disputed.United StatesGrade C / DISPUTEDWurtsmith AFB UFO incidentIn late October 1975, Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Michigan reported low-flying unknown aircraft or helicopter activity around the base. The case is useful because a declassified military message and mainstream reporting anchor what could otherwise be treated as rumor.United StatesGrade B / DISPUTEDCoyne helicopter incidentAn Army Reserve helicopter crew reported a close encounter with a bright object over Ohio.United StatesGrade B / UNRESOLVEDFalkville metal manA police chief photographed a metallic-looking figure during a reported UFO-related encounter.United StatesGrade D / DISPUTEDPascagoula abductionThe Pascagoula case centers on Charles Hickson and Calvin Parker, who said they were taken aboard a craft while fishing in Mississippi in 1973. It remains a major abduction narrative because of prompt police involvement and later audio-recording interest.United StatesGrade C / DISPUTEDMinot Air Force Base UFO caseMilitary personnel and a B-52 crew reported unusual aerial activity near Minot AFB.United StatesGrade B / UNRESOLVEDMalmstrom missile UFO reportsFormer missile personnel later connected UFO reports with missile shutdown events at Malmstrom.United StatesGrade B / DISPUTEDPortage County UFO chaseOn April 17, 1966, Ohio police officers reported chasing a luminous saucer-shaped object from Portage County into Pennsylvania. The Air Force treated the case as conventional, but later criticism from UFO investigators and scientific consultants kept it in the disputed case file.United StatesGrade B / DISPUTEDExeter UFO incidentThe Exeter UFO incident is a 1965 New Hampshire case in which Norman Muscarello and local police officers reported bright red flashing lights near rural Exeter and Kensington. It became notable because the main witness account was quickly joined by police observation and later Air Force review.United StatesGrade B / DISPUTEDKecksburg UFO IncidentResidents near Kecksburg, Pennsylvania reported a fireball and a possible crash landing in 1965, after which the story grew into one of America's most debated alleged UFO recovery cases.United StatesGrade C / DISPUTEDSocorro / Lonnie Zamora UFO IncidentNew Mexico police officer Lonnie Zamora reported seeing an egg-shaped craft and two small figures near Socorro in 1964, making the case one of Project Blue Book's most investigated close-range reports.United StatesGrade B / UNRESOLVEDRed Bluff Project Blue Book UFO caseOn the night of August 13, 1960, California Highway Patrol officers Charles A. Carson and Stanley Scott reported a silent, illuminated object near Red Bluff and Corning. The case is valuable because it combines trained public-safety witnesses, local follow-up and a surviving Project Blue Book file, while still leaving important gaps about radar, astronomy and the Air Force's final reasoning.United StatesGrade B / UNRESOLVEDKirtland AFB UFO sightingOn 4 November 1957, two Civil Aeronautics Administration tower controllers at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque reported a maneuvering light and a dark, egg-shaped object near the airfield, followed by radar discussion. The Air Force investigated the report under Project Blue Book and classified the likely explanation as a possible aircraft. The case is useful because it combines trained aviation observers, radar context, a conventional official explanation and later criticism of that explanation.United StatesGrade B / DISPUTEDLevelland UFO caseMotorists reported bright objects and temporary vehicle failures near Levelland.United StatesGrade B / DISPUTEDRB-47 radar-visual UFO incidentIn September 1957, a U.S. Air Force RB-47 reconnaissance aircraft carrying electronic countermeasures equipment reported a prolonged encounter across the Gulf Coast, Texas and Oklahoma. The case is notable because it combines cockpit visual reports, airborne electronic detections and ground-radar context, while still remaining unresolved in the public record.United StatesGrade B / UNRESOLVEDKelly-Hopkinsville encounterThe Kelly-Hopkinsville encounter is a famous Kentucky close-encounter claim in which a family reported small beings around a farmhouse. It is valuable as a witness-and-police-response case, but the extraordinary portion remains disputed.United StatesGrade C / DISPUTEDEllsworth AFB UFO reportA Cold War air base report involving unidentified aerial activity entered UFO case catalogs.United StatesGrade C / DISPUTEDKinross incidentAn interceptor disappeared over Lake Superior after being vectored toward an unidentified radar target.United StatesGrade B / UNRESOLVEDFlatwoods monsterThe Flatwoods Monster case began after a bright object crossed the West Virginia sky in September 1952 and local residents reported a frightening figure near a wooded hill. The archive treats it as a culturally important but likely explainable close-encounter story.United StatesGrade C / EXPLAINEDNash-Fortenberry UFO sightingTwo Pan American pilots reported a formation of bright objects over Chesapeake Bay.United StatesGrade B / UNRESOLVEDTremonton UFO filmOn 2 July 1952, Navy Warrant Officer Delbert Newhouse filmed a group of bright objects near Tremonton, Utah. The footage became one of the better-known Project Blue Book film cases because it was reviewed by military analysts and later discussed in the Robertson Panel context.United StatesGrade B / DISPUTEDWashington D.C. UFO incidentRadar returns and visual reports over Washington, D.C. triggered military attention across two weekends.United StatesGrade B / DISPUTEDFort Monmouth UFO caseRadar operators and pilots reported fast unidentified targets near Fort Monmouth.United StatesGrade B / UNRESOLVEDLubbock LightsWitnesses in Lubbock reported V-shaped formations of lights, with photographs later published widely.United StatesGrade B / DISPUTED1950 McMinnville UFO PhotographsPaul Trent's two May 1950 photographs are among the best-known early UFO images; they preserve a real photographic record, but uncertain range and scale prevent the pictures alone from distinguishing a distant object from a small nearby model.United StatesGrade B / DISPUTEDFarmington UFO ArmadaBetween March 15 and 18, 1950, newspapers in Farmington, New Mexico, reported that numerous residents had watched formations of bright or silvery objects crossing the daytime sky. The event survives through contemporary press coverage and later witness interviews, but no verified physical evidence or definitive official resolution is public.United StatesGrade B / DISPUTEDMariana UFO filmNicholas Mariana filmed bright objects over Great Falls in one of the early motion-picture UFO cases.United StatesGrade B / DISPUTEDClyde Tombaugh UFO sightingAstronomer Clyde Tombaugh, best known for discovering Pluto, reported seeing unusual geometric lights near Las Cruces, New Mexico, in 1949. The case is notable because of the witness's astronomical background, but it remains a testimony-based report without public instrument data.United StatesGrade C / DISPUTED1948 Mantell UFO IncidentPilot Thomas Mantell died while pursuing an unidentified object later associated with a high-altitude balloon explanation.United StatesGrade B / EXPLAINEDAztec UFO incidentA crash-retrieval story alleging a recovered craft near Aztec became part of UFO lore.United StatesGrade D / DISPUTEDChiles-Whitted UFO encounterTwo Eastern Air Lines pilots reported a glowing cigar-shaped object passing their aircraft.United StatesGrade B / UNRESOLVEDGorman dogfightPilot George Gorman reported maneuvering with a light-like object over Fargo.United StatesGrade B / UNRESOLVEDKenneth Arnold sightingPilot Kenneth Arnold reported seeing fast crescent-like objects near Mount Rainier, helping popularize the phrase flying saucer.United StatesGrade B / UNRESOLVEDMaury Island incidentA controversial pre-Roswell story involving alleged debris from unidentified craft over Puget Sound.United StatesGrade D / DISPUTEDRoswell incidentRoswell is the most famous alleged UFO crash story, but its archive value depends on separating the July 1947 debris recovery from later alien-body and crash-retrieval narratives.United StatesGrade C / EXPLAINEDWest Rindge UFO debris caseDeclassified records and a new NHPR report describe a 1947 West Rindge, New Hampshire case involving alleged metallic debris, a local witness trail and later official attention during the early flying-disc era.United StatesGrade C / DISPUTEDBattle of Los Angeles UFO caseIn the early hours of February 25, 1942, anti-aircraft batteries around Los Angeles fired into the night sky after radar and air-raid warnings suggested a possible hostile target. No enemy aircraft was found, and the event is now widely treated as a wartime false alarm that later entered UFO culture through photographs, headlines and retellings.United StatesGrade B / EXPLAINED