Washington, D.C. National Airport Radar Incidents

Record summary

The July 1975 Washington, D.C., sightings are frequently discussed as a radar-visual episode involving National Airport personnel, pilots, and reports of unusual targets in controlled airspace. The case matters because it sits at the intersection of civilian air traffic, multiple observers, and official controller procedures. Researchers should examine FAA logs, controller communications, weather, and conventional aircraft explanations. Published UFO accounts disagree about the number of targets and the strength of the radar evidence, so the event should not be treated as a single unambiguous object.