The crew of TROY21, a Department of Homeland Security Beechcraft King Air 350iER, was conducting a routine surveillance mission near Reef Station in eastern California on September 17, 2024, when their flight took an extraordinary turn. A football-sized grey cylinder passed within 10 feet of their aircraft’s right wing, moving at speeds that would later be calculated at over Mach 4. “A self-luminous Tic Tac-shaped object emerged from the ocean before linking up with three other similar objects,” one crew member would later testify, describing an encounter that challenged everything they knew about conventional aircraft capabilities.
Professional Aviation Crew Encounters the Impossible
The TROY21 flight crew consists of highly trained professionals operating sophisticated homeland security missions for the Department of Homeland Security. Their Beechcraft King Air 350iER represents one of the most advanced surveillance platforms in government service, equipped with cutting-edge radar and detection systems that make their testimony particularly compelling to investigators.
On the afternoon of September 17, 2024, the crew was conducting standard operations near Reef Station in eastern California’s remote desert region. Weather conditions were optimal for their mission, with clear visibility and stable atmospheric conditions. The crew remained completely alert and focused on their homeland security objectives when the unprecedented encounter began.
“The crew reported that a football sized grey cylinder had passed approximately 10ft. under their right wing,” according to the Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center controller who received their initial communication. The proximity of the object to their aircraft created an immediate safety concern, forcing the crew to take evasive action.
A Split-Second Encounter with Devastating Implications
The initial close encounter lasted only seconds, but its implications would reverberate through months of investigation. The crew of TROY21 first detected the object as it passed beneath their right wing at an uncomfortably close distance, prompting immediate concern about potential collision.
“The crew originally thought the object could have been a missile, and took evasive action, instinctively banking to the left to pop up the wing so as to avoid it,” investigator Ben Hansen later revealed after interviewing the crew members. The trained response of these experienced aviators underscores the serious threat they perceived from the unknown object.
Within approximately one minute of the initial encounter, the crew made a second communication to Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center with even more startling information. “A minute later the crew contacted the center again to report that the object had been picked up on radar approximately 60 miles away,” the air traffic controller documented in his official report to NUFORC.
The implications of this radar detection proved staggering when investigators began calculating the object’s performance capabilities. “After calculating that the object’s speed must have been at least Mach 4 to cover 60 miles in a minute,” NUFORC officials realized they were dealing with technology far beyond conventional aircraft capabilities.
But the encounter was far from over. “After the object was picked up on the aircraft’s sophisticated radar 60 miles away, it ‘jumped’ 20 miles back towards them in a matter of seconds,” Hansen reported. “It then ‘jumped’ back to 30 miles away, and then re-approached to 10 miles, all within seconds.”
Radar Confirmation and Impossible Maneuvers
The crew’s sophisticated onboard radar systems provided crucial technological corroboration of their visual observations. Unlike eyewitness accounts that might be dismissed as optical illusions or misidentification, the radar data offered objective evidence of the object’s presence and extraordinary capabilities.
“The object was picked up on radar approximately 60 miles away” within a minute of the initial close pass, confirming both its reality and its incredible speed. The crew watched in amazement as their instruments tracked movements that defied known physics and aviation technology.
The object’s behavior became even more perplexing as the encounter continued. Rather than following a predictable flight path, the craft demonstrated the ability to “jump” instantaneously between positions. “It ‘jumped’ 20 miles back towards them in a matter of seconds,” Hansen documented. “It then ‘jumped’ back to 30 miles away, and then re-approached to 10 miles, all within seconds.”
These rapid position changes, confirmed by multiple radar systems, suggested technology capable of near-instantaneous acceleration and deceleration without apparent regard for inertia or conventional propulsion limitations. No known aircraft or missile system can perform such maneuvers without destroying itself or its occupants through extreme G-forces.
Physical Description and Flight Characteristics
The crew’s detailed observations of the object’s physical appearance provide crucial data for researchers attempting to understand the phenomenon. Their professional aviation background and proximity to the craft make their descriptions particularly valuable.
“A football sized grey cylinder had passed approximately 10ft. under their right wing,” the crew reported, providing specific size and color details during their initial communication. The cylindrical shape matches descriptions from other well-documented UFO encounters, particularly the famous “Tic-Tac” incidents involving Navy pilots.
The object’s movement characteristics proved even more remarkable than its appearance. “A self-luminous Tic Tac-shaped object emerged from the ocean before linking up with three other similar objects,” one crew member later testified, revealing that the encounter involved multiple craft working in apparent coordination.
The craft demonstrated flight capabilities that violated conventional understanding of aerodynamics and propulsion. “The orb then disappeared simultaneously with a high, synchronized, near-instantaneous acceleration,” the witness continued. “There was no sonic boom or conventional propulsion signatures — but the objects were detected on multiple sensors, including radar.”
This account is based on communications between TROY21 flight crew and Los Angeles Air Route Traffic Control Center, documented through Freedom of Information Act requests and follow-up investigations by Ben Hansen and NUFORC researchers.
Official Investigation and Government Response
The TROY21 encounter attracted immediate attention from serious UFO researchers due to the credibility of the witnesses and the availability of official documentation. NUFORC contacted Ben Hansen, a well-known UFO investigator and pilot, who initiated a comprehensive investigation into the event.
“Ben kicked off a far reaching inquiry into the event, beginning with the filing of a Freedom of Information Act request to get access to the radar data,” NUFORC reported. The months-long process of obtaining official records demonstrated the government’s initial reluctance to release information about the incident.
“After a few months, he was finally successful in getting a response, which included a full recording of the communications between air traffic control and the flight crew,” investigators confirmed. The release of actual audio recordings provided unprecedented transparency for a government-related UAP encounter.
Hansen’s investigation gained national attention when he presented his findings on NewsNation in February 2025. “The interview featured an animation that was created to visualize the event,” showcasing the professional level of analysis applied to the case. The television exposure prompted an unexpected development that would deepen the investigation.
“Fortuitously, crewmembers from the original flight saw the interview, and reached out to Ben to talk about it in more detail,” NUFORC revealed. This direct contact with the actual witnesses provided investigators with additional details unavailable through official channels.
Ongoing Analysis and Broader Implications
The TROY21 case represents a significant breakthrough in UAP research due to its combination of credible professional witnesses, radar confirmation, audio recordings, and ongoing scientific analysis. “The investigation is ongoing, primarily focusing now on analyzing the raw radar data files that were also obtained through the FOIA,” researchers reported.
Francis Ridge, director of the MADAR project, leads the radar analysis portion of the investigation. His expertise in analyzing anomalous radar returns brings scientific rigor to understanding the object’s impossible flight characteristics. The collaboration between multiple research organizations demonstrates the serious attention this case has attracted within the UFO investigation community.
The encounter’s documentation through official government channels provides a level of verification rarely available in UAP research. Unlike anonymous reports or single-witness accounts, the TROY21 incident involves multiple trained observers, technological confirmation, and documented government acknowledgment of the event’s occurrence.
The case also highlights the increasing willingness of professional aviators and government personnel to report unusual encounters. The crew’s immediate communication with air traffic control, followed by their later cooperation with investigators, suggests a cultural shift toward transparency in addressing the UAP phenomenon.
Historical Context and Pattern Recognition
The TROY21 encounter adds to a growing body of evidence documenting UAP interactions with government and military aircraft. The incident bears striking similarities to the famous Nimitz “Tic-Tac” encounters of 2004, involving Navy pilots who reported objects with similar appearance and impossible flight characteristics.
The cylindrical, grey objects described by the TROY21 crew match the physical descriptions provided by Navy pilots Commander David Fravor and Lieutenant Commander Alex Dietrich during their well-documented encounters off the California coast. The consistency of these reports across different time periods and witness groups strengthens the credibility of both accounts.
The involvement of homeland security operations also raises important questions about potential UAP interest in government activities. The object’s apparent decision to approach and pace a federal surveillance aircraft suggests either curiosity about human operations or deliberate monitoring of government activities.
California’s airspace has emerged as a hotspot for professional pilot UAP encounters, with multiple documented cases involving both military and civilian aviation crews. The concentration of reports in this region may reflect either increased UAP activity or greater reporting compliance among professional aviators operating in the area.
Expert Testimony and Congressional Interest
The TROY21 case gained additional prominence when crew members provided testimony about their experiences during congressional hearings on UAP transparency. Their accounts, delivered under oath before lawmakers, represent some of the most credible UAP testimony ever presented to Congress.
“What I observed and what our crew recorded was not consistent with conventional aircraft or drones, as they appear on our system,” one crew member testified. “A self-luminous Tic Tac-shaped object emerged from the ocean before linking up with three other similar objects. The orb then disappeared simultaneously with a high, synchronized, near-instantaneous acceleration.”
The crew’s emphasis on multiple sensor confirmation adds scientific weight to their testimony. “To be clear, I am not here to make claims beyond my lane,” the witness emphasized. “I am here to provide a firsthand account of what I saw, what our systems recorded, and why it matters for safety, for intelligence and public confidence.”
Congressional interest in the case reflects growing government recognition that UAP encounters represent legitimate national security and aviation safety concerns. The willingness of Department of Homeland Security personnel to testify publicly about their experiences marks a significant shift in official attitudes toward the phenomenon.
The TROY21 crew remains convinced that their encounter represents evidence of technology beyond current human capabilities. “The objects were detected on multiple sensors, including radar,” they confirmed, emphasizing the technological corroboration of their visual observations. Their professional credibility and detailed documentation make this case one of the most compelling UAP encounters in recent history, challenging conventional understanding of what’s possible in our skies.
