Summary
During the early hours of 19 September 1976, several residents of Tehran reported an unusually bright object in the night sky. After military personnel also observed the phenomenon, the Imperial Iranian Air Force dispatched two F-4 Phantom II interceptor aircraft to investigate. According to a subsequently circulated U.S. military report, both aircraft experienced unusual equipment problems while approaching the object. During the second interception, the crew obtained a radar return and reported additional luminous objects apparently separating from the main object. The incident became one of the best-documented military UFO encounters of the 1970s and remains the subject of competing interpretations.
Additional Notes
The incident began at approximately 12:30 a.m., when four residents of the Shemiran district contacted authorities about unusual lights in the sky. After checking with Mehrabad Airport and observing the object himself, a senior Iranian Air Force officer ordered an F-4 interceptor to investigate. According to the military report, the first aircraft lost instrumentation and communications as it approached the object, with normal operation returning after it withdrew. A second F-4 later acquired a radar return. Its crew reported that a smaller luminous object appeared to move toward them; when the pilot attempted to prepare an AIM-9 missile, the aircraft's weapons-control system and communications reportedly failed. Various conventional explanations have subsequently been proposed, including astronomical misidentification and unrelated equipment malfunctions, but these interpretations remain disputed.
- Environment
- Urban Area, Military Area
- Time of Day
- Night – beginning around 12:30 a.m.
- Evidence Level
- Official Record