Iranian F-4 crews pursue an unidentified light over Tehran
September 19, 1976 · Tehran, Iran · Sighting · Primary document linked
Early on 19 September 1976, a bright light was reported over Tehran and the Imperial Iranian Air Force sent up two F-4 Phantoms. The crews reported electrical and instrument problems on approach and a radar lock on the object. The Defense Intelligence Agency sent a report on the incident, later obtained under FOIA, and an NSA routing slip judged that the case 'met the criteria for a valid UFO study', citing radar confirmation and effects on three aircraft.
Why it matters (4/5)
A DIA report rated 'outstanding' and a 'classic' case; widely cited in both serious and skeptical literature.
Caveats
Skeptoid's Brian Dunning argues the light was Jupiter where the F-4s found it, that meteors from nearby showers explain other lights, that one F-4 had a long history of electrical faults, and that the radar 'lock' may have been an operator mode error. He calls the case unexplained rather than alien. The DIA report relays Iranian accounts and does not verify them.
Sources
- The 1976 Iran incident: UFO encounter over Tehran (DIA report and NSA routing slip) (Defense Intelligence Agency), primary
- Defense Information Report Evaluation (routing slip) for the Iran UFO report (Defense Intelligence Agency), primary
- 1976 Tehran UFO incident (Wikipedia), context
- The Tehran 1976 UFO (Skeptoid #315) (Skeptoid Media), criticism