Within Tic Tac
Within the wider story of the 2004 Nimitz encounter, Chad Underwood occupies a distinctive place. He was not the pilot who reported the famous close-range visual engagement later described by David Fravor. Instead, Underwood was part of a later flight that obtained the infrared footage that became known worldwide as the “Tic Tac” video.
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The Pilot Who Named the Tic Tac
| The label “Tic Tac” is now inseparable from the Nimitz case, yet it did not originate in government reports or media coverage. Underwood has stated that he was the person who began using the nickname because the object’s appearance reminded him of the white mint confection. The term spread among personnel connected to the incident and eventually became the public shorthand for the entire case. [Enigma Labs]enigmalabs.ioEnigma Labs | Report a UFO sightingChad UnderwoodUnderwood, who held the rank of Lieutenant at the time of the encounter, has since state… | Report a UFO sighting [GV Wire]gvwire.comGV WireNavy Pilot Who Filmed the 'Tic Tac' UFO Speaks: 'It Wasn't…20 Dec 2019 — Chad Underwood recorded a bizarre and erratic UFO — no… |
That seemingly minor detail mattered. UFO cases often become associated with technical designations, dates or military acronyms. “Tic Tac” instead provided a simple visual image that ordinary audiences could remember. As the footage circulated first within defence circles and later through major media coverage, the name gave the incident a recognisable identity that helped distinguish it from countless other unidentified-object reports. [GV Wire]gvwire.comGV WireNavy Pilot Who Filmed the 'Tic Tac' UFO Speaks: 'It Wasn't…20 Dec 2019 — Chad Underwood recorded a bizarre and erratic UFO — no…
The nickname also reflected a key feature of the case: witnesses were describing shape rather than origin. Calling it a Tic Tac described what it looked like, not what it was.
How Underwood Recorded the Later Video
One of the most commonly misunderstood aspects of the Nimitz incident is that the famous FLIR1 infrared video was not recorded during Fravor’s reported close visual encounter. After Fravor’s flight returned to the carrier and discussed the unusual event, another aircraft launched with more advanced sensor equipment. Underwood was aboard that later mission and used the aircraft’s Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) targeting system to track the object. [Wikipedia]WikipediaPentagon UFO videosPentagon UFO videos
Underwood has explained that his priority was not visual observation but sensor collection. Rather than concentrating on looking out of the cockpit, he focused on operating and maintaining the lock of the targeting system. He later said that he wanted to bring back as much recorded information as possible so intelligence personnel could analyse it afterwards. [Wikipedia]WikipediaUFO photographsUFO photographs [Wikipedia]WikipediaPentagon UFO videosPentagon UFO videos
This distinction is important because it clarifies what the video actually represents. The footage is evidence that a military sensor tracked something that crews could not immediately identify. It is not a complete recording of every manoeuvre described by earlier witnesses, nor does it independently verify every claim later associated with the broader Nimitz story. Underwood’s role therefore links the case’s eyewitness component to its sensor component without collapsing the two into a single piece of evidence. [Wikipedia]WikipediaUFO photographsUFO photographs
Why the Name Stuck in Public Memory
Many UFO incidents fade because they lack a memorable narrative. The Nimitz case developed one. A strange white object, experienced military personnel, an infrared recording and the simple phrase “Tic Tac” combined into a story that could easily be retold.
Underwood’s contribution was central to that process. His recording became the visual artefact attached to the event, while the nickname supplied a shared vocabulary. Long before governments began using the broader term “UAP” (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena), the public could instantly understand what witnesses meant when they referred to the “Tic Tac”. [GV Wire]gvwire.comGV WireNavy Pilot Who Filmed the 'Tic Tac' UFO Speaks: 'It Wasn't…20 Dec 2019 — Chad Underwood recorded a bizarre and erratic UFO — no…
The result was unusual. Many disclosure-era discussions revolve around classified documents, radar data or technical reports. The Tic Tac case instead acquired a human-scale identity tied to one memorable image and one memorable name. Underwood helped create both.
What His Caution Says About Responsible Interpretation
Perhaps the most revealing aspect of Underwood’s public comments is what he has not claimed.
Although he has described the tracked object as behaving in ways that appeared extraordinary and inconsistent with ordinary aircraft performance, he has generally avoided declaring that it was an alien vehicle. In interviews, he has emphasised that the object was unidentified rather than definitively identified as something extraterrestrial. He has also expressed discomfort with being automatically associated with claims about aliens simply because he recorded the video. [Sky News]news.sky.comIt was going from like 50,000ft to, you know, 100ft in like seconds, which is not possible." Mr Underwood said…Read more… [New York Magazine]nymag.comtic tac ufo video q and a with navy pilot chad underwoodNew York Magazine'Tic Tac' UFO Video: Q&A With Navy Pilot Chad Underwood19 Dec 2019 — Navy pilot who filmed the 'Tic Tac' UFO speaks: 'It…
That position creates an important contrast within the UFO debate. Some advocates view the Nimitz encounter as evidence of advanced non-human technology. Critics argue that limited sensor footage and incomplete data leave room for misinterpretation. Underwood’s own statements occupy a narrower middle ground: he maintains that something unusual was encountered, but he does not claim to know what it was. New York Magazine [Business Insider]businessinsider.comnavy pilot tic tac ufo interview aliens 2019 12The Navy pilot who recorded it says he doesn't want to be associated with aliens.Read more…
His approach mirrors a principle increasingly adopted in official UAP investigations. An object can remain unidentified without automatically becoming extraterrestrial. The category “unknown” is not itself an explanation. By keeping those ideas separate, Underwood’s testimony has often appeared more measured than many public narratives built around the case. [Business Insider]businessinsider.comnavy pilot tic tac ufo interview aliens 2019 12The Navy pilot who recorded it says he doesn't want to be associated with aliens.Read more…
Why Underwood Matters to the Disclosure Debate
Within the UFO disclosure movement, Underwood’s role is sometimes overshadowed by more dramatic accounts of the encounter. Yet his contribution highlights one of the strongest features of the Nimitz case: the evidence is most persuasive when interpreted narrowly.
He recorded a genuine military sensor track of an object that he and others could not readily identify. He helped preserve a piece of evidence that later became central to public discussion. At the same time, he has largely resisted turning that uncertainty into certainty. [GV Wire]gvwire.comGV WireNavy Pilot Who Filmed the 'Tic Tac' UFO Speaks: 'It Wasn't…20 Dec 2019 — Chad Underwood recorded a bizarre and erratic UFO — no…
For that reason, Underwood’s testimony serves as a useful benchmark for responsible interpretation. The recording supports the claim that an unusual object was encountered. It does not, by itself, establish what the object was. In a field often divided between dismissal and speculation, his position demonstrates why the Nimitz case remains compelling precisely because it remains unresolved. [New York Magazine]nymag.comtic tac ufo video q and a with navy pilot chad underwoodNew York Magazine'Tic Tac' UFO Video: Q&A With Navy Pilot Chad Underwood19 Dec 2019 — Navy pilot who filmed the 'Tic Tac' UFO speaks: 'It…
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Endnotes
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: Pentagon UFO videos
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentagon_UFO_videos -
Source: enigmalabs.io
Link: https://enigmalabs.io/library/94e21b37-7553-42cb-bca6-bf1f9db2e166Source snippet
Enigma Labs | Report a UFO sightingChad UnderwoodUnderwood, who held the rank of Lieutenant at the time of the encounter, has since state...
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: UFO photographs
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UFO_photographs -
Source: news.sky.com
Link: https://news.sky.com/story/it-was-behaving-erratically-us-navy-pilot-speaks-out-about-ufo-sighting-15-years-on-11891191Source snippet
It was going from like 50,000ft to, you know, 100ft in like seconds, which is not possible." Mr Underwood said...Read more...
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Source: nymag.com
Title: tic tac ufo video q and a with navy pilot chad underwood
Link: https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/12/tic-tac-ufo-video-q-and-a-with-navy-pilot-chad-underwood.htmlSource snippet
New York Magazine'Tic Tac' UFO Video: Q&A With Navy Pilot Chad Underwood19 Dec 2019 — Navy pilot who filmed the 'Tic Tac' UFO speaks: 'It...
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Source: businessinsider.com
Title: navy pilot tic tac ufo interview aliens 2019 12
Link: https://www.businessinsider.com/navy-pilot-tic-tac-ufo-interview-aliens-2019-12Source snippet
The Navy pilot who recorded it says he doesn't want to be associated with aliens.Read more...
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Source: gvwire.com
Link: https://gvwire.com/2019/12/20/navy-pilot-who-filmed-the-tic-tac-ufo-speaks-it-wasnt-behaving-by-the-normal-laws-of-physics/Source snippet
GV WireNavy Pilot Who Filmed the 'Tic Tac' UFO Speaks: 'It Wasn't...20 Dec 2019 — Chad Underwood recorded a bizarre and erratic UFO — no...
Additional References
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Source: pastmysteries.com
Link: https://pastmysteries.com/posts/uss-nimitz-tic-tacSource snippet
USS Nimitz Tic Tac Encounter: The Navy Pilot UFO Sighting...2 days ago — The Pentagon's statement marked the first time the United State...
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Source: independent.co.uk
Link: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/ufo-tic-tac-flying-saucer-chad-underwoord-dave-fravor-a9254671.htmlSource snippet
UFO: Pilot who spotted famous Tic Tac breaks silence after...20 Dec 2019 — Chad Underwood broke 15 years of silence on the subject, desc...
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Source: metabunk.org
Link: https://www.metabunk.org/threads/claim-that-the-nimitz-flir1-object-could-not-be-a-plane-because-it-would-have-been-identified.11726/Source snippet
Latest: John J. Today at 9:59 PM. UFOs and Aliens · M · DOW-UAP-PR072...Read more...
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/UFOs/comments/otpq6w/transcript_of_underwood_interview_navy_aviator/Source snippet
utenant at the time on USS Nimitz. I filmed the Tic Tac...Read more...
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Source: brobible.com
Title: navy pilot nimitz ufo tic tac video
Link: https://brobible.com/culture/article/navy-pilot-nimitz-ufo-tic-tac-video/Source snippet
Navy Pilot Who Filmed USS Nimitz UFO Encounter Breaks...20 Dec 2019 — Pilot Chad Underwood, who recorded the UFO footage, gave an interv...
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Source: storymaps.arcgis.com
Link: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/9654c790fc784fb298b3e991d81243baSource snippet
theory - Are UFOs real?20 Jun 2022 —... ufo-harry-reid.html. Barnes, Julian E., and Helene Cooper. “U.S. Finds No Evidence of Alien Tech...
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Source: link.springer.com
Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13194-025-00634-8Source snippet
The extraterrestrial hypothesis: an epistemological case for...by WC Lane · 2025 · Cited by 2 — But no one can identify an unkno...
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Source: astroblogs.nl
Title: marine piloot ufo video tic tac verbreekt na 15 jaar stilzwijgen
Link: https://www.astroblogs.nl/2019/12/20/marine-piloot-ufo-video-tic-tac-verbreekt-na-15-jaar-stilzwijgen/Source snippet
Underwood opereerde destijds vanaf...Read more...
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Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/812442282225658/posts/2957196407750224/Source snippet
Losely based on the "Tick Tack" ufo video from 2004Here's an interesting interview with Chad Underwood, the Navy pilot who filmed the 'Ti...
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Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kRYxxzvFEgSource snippet
Pilot Films Tic-Tac UFO Over Utah...
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