On a seemingly routine day in November 2004, an extraordinary event unfolded above the Pacific Ocean that would challenge conventional understandings of aerial phenomena. Commander David Fravor, a highly trained naval aviator and commanding officer of Strike Fighter Squadron 41, was engaged in an air defense exercise aboard the USS Nimitz, a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier operating miles off the coast of San Diego. What began as a standard maneuver quickly escalated into one of the most compelling unexplained encounters ever reported by military personnel.

Fravor and his wingman took to the skies in new Super Hornets for a two-vs-two training exercise approximately 60 to 70 miles off the coast, near the maritime border between the United States and Mexico. Their routine was abruptly interrupted when the USS Princeton’s radar operators issued an urgent tasking, suspending all training activities. With no initial explanation, the pilots were redirected to investigate unidentified radar contacts.

Despite the advanced Aegis Spy 1 radar system on the Princeton — capable of detecting objects as small as a baseball at altitudes reaching 80,000 feet — the pilots found themselves flying blind, unable to locate anything unusual on their onboard instruments. The radar operators reported what is known in naval terms as a “merge plot,” meaning the unknown contact was occupying the same airspace as the jets, rendering radar unable to distinguish between pilot and object.

Then, a remarkable sighting occurred. Far below, where a pilot might have expected to see signs of a crash or submarine activity, Fravor and his weapons officer spotted a peculiar white, wingless object. It resembled a large Tic Tac mint, gliding in ways bending the laws of physics as we know them. The craft moved with erratic precision and instantaneous changes in direction — behavior unlike any known aircraft or sea vessel.

Intrigued and cautious, Fravor circled the object, observing it closely as it hovered near the water’s surface. As he approached, the Tic Tac abruptly mirrored the jets’ movements, ascending rapidly to their altitude. The encounter grew tense: here was something appearing fully aware of their presence, reacting intelligently to their maneuvers. Then, with breathtaking speed, the object accelerated past Fravor’s jet, vanishing within moments.

What happened next defied explanation. The Tic Tac resurfaced not near their location but astonishingly at a prearranged rendezvous point — known in naval aviation as the Combat Air Patrol (CAP) point — some 60 miles away. Reports from radar operators tracked this movement, calculating an unprecedented acceleration reaching roughly 3,700 miles per hour, a speed and maneuverability far beyond any known human technology.

Fravor recounted the surreal experience with a mixture of awe and bewilderment, remarking on the profound implications of such capabilities. “We don’t have that,” he stated plainly, underscoring the gulf between the performance of their sophisticated Super Hornets and the inexplicable craft they had just encountered. Whether the Tic Tac represented foreign technology, a breakthrough prototype, or something more enigmatic remains unknown. Fravor himself framed the mystery cautiously, neither confirming extraterrestrial origins nor dismissing the possibility.

Back aboard the Nimitz, word of the sighting spread quickly, and subsequent flights were launched to relocate the object. Equipped with targeting pods featuring infrared sensors and cameras, these jets traced the craft, capturing the now-famous videos that have since ignited public fascination and government inquiry. The object’s ability to jam radar while still being visually tracked added further complexity to the case and contributed to the ongoing debate within military and scientific communities.

The “Tic Tac” incident remains one of the most credible and compelling UFO encounters on record, witnessed by multiple trained observers and documented with advanced technology often reserved for military defense. Its implications stretch beyond mere curiosity, challenging assumptions about aerial capabilities and sparking urgent questions about unidentified aerial phenomena.

Commander David Fravor’s account offers a rare glimpse “beneath the skies” into a moment when human pilots confronted the unexplained head-on — a moment that continues to inspire investigation, speculation, and wonder about what truly flies above our world.

This unsettling encounter with the unknown reminds us that the skies still hold mysteries, and sometimes, even the best-trained eyes may catch but a fleeting glimpse of what lies beyond.