FBI September 2023 Sighting - Composite Sketch
An FBI-documented report from September 2023 details the sighting of a metallic, ellipsoid object that appeared and disappeared within a bright light.
Background
In September 2023, within the United States, U.S. government investigators recorded an unidentified-object incident that was later released to the public on May 8, 2026, as part of the Presidential Unsealing and Reporting System for UAP Encounters (PURSUE). This case emerged during the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office disclosure era, a period characterized by the systematic release of previously classified data following the 2022 establishment of the modern UAP investigative apparatus. This era represents a shift in how the federal government handles Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, moving toward a framework of structured transparency and multi-agency coordination.
The incident was officially filed with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Under the Bureau’s standing protocols for the protection of vital installations, various field offices, including those in Knoxville, Albuquerque, and Los Angeles, routed these UFO reports to headquarters for centralized processing. This procedural routing highlights the integration of domestic intelligence agencies into the broader effort to monitor aerial anomalies that may pose risks to national security or critical infrastructure.
The September 2023 Incident
The documentation released through the PURSUE program includes an actual site photo featuring an FBI Lab rendered graphic overlay. This overlay serves to illustrate corroborating eyewitness reports from September 2023 regarding a specific aerial phenomenon. The reports describe an apparent ellipsoid bronze metallic object that materialized out of a bright light in the sky. The object is estimated to have been between 130 and 195 feet in length. According to the records, the object disappeared instantaneously after its appearance. While the visual evidence and eyewitness accounts provide a detailed description of the object’s physical characteristics and behavior, the released document does not specify the total number of witnesses involved in the sighting.
Classification and Investigative Context
The case is classified as a visual sighting reported by ground or air observers. Within the broader history of aerial phenomena, such sightings are often categorized by their movement patterns and luminosity. The specific behavior of this object—materializing and vanishing within a light source—aligns with certain historical patterns of UAP reports involving sudden transitions in visibility.
All records released under the PURSUE program are designated as unresolved by the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) by default. At the time of the document’s release, the federal government had not concluded that the events were anomalous, nor had it concluded that they were conventional. The investigative status remains open, as the government has not ruled out either possibility.
The search for conventional explanations remains a standard component of UAP investigations. During this period, potential candidates for such sightings include experimental aircraft, weather balloons, atmospheric optical phenomena such as sundogs and lenticular clouds, and astronomical objects including Venus, the Moon, and meteors near the horizon. Historical precedents, such as the Project Mogul series of high-altitude balloons in the late 1940s, demonstrate how atmospheric phenomena or secret surveillance technology can often be mistaken for unidentified objects. The FBI-documented case from September 2023 remains a subject of ongoing scrutiny within this investigative framework.