| The 1976 Tehran UFO Incident was a radar and | | | | pilots. |
| visual sighting of an unidentified flying | | | | |
| object (UFO) over Tehran, the capital of | | | | Once again, as soon as the F-4 had turned |
| Iran. The incident is particularly notable | | | | away, instrumentation and communications were |
| for the electromagnetic interference effects | | | | regained. The F-4 crew then saw another |
| on aircraft near the UFO. Two F-4 jet | | | | brightly lit object detach itself from the |
| interceptors independently lost | | | | other side of the primary object and drop |
| instrumentation and communications as they | | | | straight down at a high rate of speed. The |
| approached, only to have these restored when | | | | F-4 crew expected it to impact the ground and |
| they left. One F-4 also lost its weapons | | | | explode, but it came to rest gently. The F-4 |
| systems when it was about to fire on the | | | | crew then overflew the site at a decreased |
| object. The incident is well-documented in a | | | | altitude and marked the position of the |
| U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report | | | | light's touchdown. Then they landed at |
| with a distribution list that included the | | | | Mehrabad, noting that each time they passed |
| White House, Secretary of State, Joint Chiefs | | | | through a magnetic bearing of 150 degrees |
| of Staff, National Security Agency (NSA), and | | | | from Mehrabad, they experienced interference |
| Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Various | | | | and communications failure. |
| high Iranian military officers directly | | | | |
| involved with the events have also gone on | | | | A civilian airliner that was approaching |
| public record stating their belief the object | | | | Mehrabad also experienced a loss of |
| was an extraterrestrial craft. | | | | communications at the same position relative |
| | | | to Mehrabad. As the F-4 was on final |
| The incident | | | | approach, they sighted yet another object, |
| | | | cylinder-shaped, with bright, steady lights |
| At about 12:30 AM on September 19th, 1976, an | | | | on each end and a flashing light in the |
| unusual incident occurred over Tehran, Iran. | | | | middle. The object overflew the F-4. Mehrabad |
| | | | tower reported no other aircraft in the area, |
| The Imperial Iranian Air Force command post | | | | but tower personnel were able to see the |
| at Tehran received four telephone reports | | | | object when given directions by the F-4 |
| from citizens in the Shemiran (a district in | | | | pilot. Years later, the main controller and |
| the north of Tehran). Some of the callers | | | | an investigating general revealed that the |
| reported seeing a bird-like object in the | | | | object also overflew the control tower and |
| sky, while others reported a helicopter with | | | | knocked out all of its electronic equipment |
| a bright light. | | | | as well (see below). |
| | | | |
| When the command post found that there were | | | | The next day, the F-4 crew flew out in a |
| no helicopters airborne at that time, they | | | | helicopter to the site where they had seen |
| called General Yousefi, assistant deputy | | | | the smaller object land. In the daylight, it |
| commander of operations. General Yousefi at | | | | was determined to be a dry lake bed, but no |
| first said the object was only a star, but | | | | traces could be seen. They then circled the |
| after talking to the tower at Mehrabad | | | | area to the west and picked up a noticeable |
| Airport, he looked for himself and saw a very | | | | "beeper" signal. The signal was loudest near |
| bright object larger than a star. At that | | | | a small house, so they landed and questioned |
| point he decided to scramble one F-4 Phantom | | | | the occupants of the house about any unusual |
| jet from Shahrokhi Air Force Base in Hamadan. | | | | events of the previous night. They reported a |
| | | | loud noise and a bright light like lightning. |
| At 0130 hours, the F-4 took off and proceeded | | | | |
| to a point 40 nautical miles north of Tehran. | | | | Further investigation of the landing site, |
| It was noted that the object was of such | | | | including radiation testing of the area was |
| brilliance that it could be seen up to 70 | | | | apparently done, but the results were never |
| miles away. When the F-4 came to within about | | | | made public. Since this event occurred before |
| 25 nautical miles of the object, the jet | | | | the fall of the Shah, any records in Tehran |
| suddenly lost all instrumentation and | | | | itself may be lost. |
| communications. The pilot broke off the | | | | |
| intercept and turned away. When the F-4 had | | | | D.I.A. form |
| turned back toward Shahrokhi, the aircraft | | | | |
| regained instrumentation and communication. | | | | Alongside the report there was a form from |
| | | | the DIA which assessed the quality of the |
| At 0140 hours, a second F-4 was scrambled, | | | | report. The form indicated in checked boxes |
| piloted by Lieutenant Jafari and it acquired | | | | that the content was of high value, that the |
| a radar lock on the object at 27 nautical | | | | report was confirmed by other sources, and |
| miles range. The radar signature of the UFO | | | | that the utility of the information was |
| resembled that of a Boeing 707 aircraft. | | | | potentially useful to them. The form from the |
| Closing on the object at 150 nautical miles | | | | DIA also stated the following: |
| per hour and at a range of 25 nautical miles, | | | | |
| the object began to move, keeping a steady | | | | "An outstanding report. This case is a |
| distance of 25 nautical miles from the F-4. | | | | classic which meets all the criteria |
| The size of the object was difficult to | | | | necessary for a valid study of the UFO |
| determine due to its intense brilliance. The | | | | phenomenon: |
| lights of the object were alternating blue, | | | | |
| green, red, and orange, and were arranged in | | | | a) The object was seen by multiple witnesses |
| a square pattern. The lights flashed in | | | | from different locations (i.e., Shamiran, |
| sequence, but the flashing was so rapid that | | | | Mehrabad, and the dry lake bed) and |
| they all could be seen at once. | | | | viewpoints (both airborne and from the |
| | | | ground). |
| While the object and the F-4 continued on a | | | | |
| southerly path, a smaller second object | | | | b) The credibility of many of the witnesses |
| detached itself from the first and advanced | | | | was high (an Air Force general, qualified |
| on the F-4 at a high rate of speed. | | | | aircrews, and experienced tower operators). |
| Lieutenant Jafari thinking to be under | | | | |
| attack, tried to launch an AIM-9 sidewinder | | | | c) Visual sightings were confirmed by radar. |
| missile, but he suddenly lost all | | | | |
| instrumentation, including weapons control, | | | | d) Similar electromagnetic effects (EME) were |
| and all communication. The F-4 pilot then | | | | reported by three separate aircraft. |
| instituted a turn and a negative G dive as | | | | |
| evasive action. The object fell in behind him | | | | e) There were physiological effects on some |
| at about 3 to 4 nautical miles distance for a | | | | crew members (i.e., loss of night vision due |
| short time, then turned and rejoined the | | | | to the brightness of the object). |
| primary object. The main object then flew | | | | |
| away at several times the speed of sound, | | | | f) An inordinate amount of maneuverability |
| according to a voice tape from one of the | | | | was displayed by the UFOs." |