FBI agents reported witnessing a mysterious black triangular object hovering silently above a mountain ridge before suddenly accelerating at speeds comparable to a fighter jet, newly released Department of War documents reveal.
The 2026 sighting is among several incidents detailed in the newly released records examining unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP), alongside decades-old military encounters and reports of mysterious creatures, unexplained lights and supposed portals at a Utah ranch.
One report from the FBI describes an encounter with a dark, nonreflective triangular object resembling a drone, with an estimated wingspan of 9 to 15 feet and no visible exhaust or conventional propulsion system.
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The agents reported seeing the object rise vertically above a ridgeline before accelerating into a canyon without making a sound.
A separate report from the Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO), which investigates reports of unidentified anomalous phenomena, provides a more detailed account of the encounter.
The report describes a matte-black triangular object that climbed about 200 to 300 feet above a ridgeline, hovered for roughly 20 seconds and then appeared to accelerate almost instantly, disappearing into a canyon within two to three seconds.
The witnesses described an object with no visible engines, rotors, exhaust or other conventional aircraft features.
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Read the report here:
The agents also reported observing a uniform heat signature across the object’s surface through handheld thermal equipment, without the concentrated hot spots typically associated with propulsion systems.
The Pentagon report notes that the object’s speed was estimated by witnesses rather than measured by instruments.
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The two reports differ on the length of the encounter. The FBI described a sighting lasting approximately three seconds, while AARO detailed about 10 seconds of vertical ascent, 20 seconds of hovering and another two to three seconds of rapid flight before the object disappeared.
Neither report identifies the object or establishes its origin.
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Fox News Digital has contacted AARO for comment on the sighting, including whether the object has since been identified and whether images released with the FBI report show the actual encounter or are illustrations.
The newly released records also include an Air Force intelligence report dated Jan. 19, 1957, detailing an unidentified radar contact involving a U.S. B-52 bomber during a Strategic Air Command mission near Saudi Arabia.
The bomber was flying at about 39,000 feet when its radar detected an unidentified target roughly 6,000 yards away on Jan. 18, 1957.
The contact remained on the aircraft’s radar screen for five to seven minutes before disappearing as the bomber turned left.
Air Force investigators noted that no other aircraft were expected in the area but acknowledged that the radar contact may have disappeared because of the bomber’s change in direction.
Other historical records describe reported sightings near California’s Santa Catalina Island.
In one case, three Boy Scouts attending summer camp reported seeing a silent, silver object moving faster than a conventional jet while hiking on the island June 25, 1952.
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The scouts claimed the object made a climbing turn before appearing to disintegrate, an Air Force intelligence report states.
Investigators noted that the scouts had no instruments to measure its speed or altitude and that their limited experience made it difficult to assess the reliability of their account.
Read the Catalina Island report here:
A separate March 15, 1955, report describes a witness near Avalon on Catalina Island who spotted a bright, round object that changed from orange to red before falling straight down.
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The Air Force ultimately classified the sighting as a “probable meteor.”
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The files also include a 60-page investigation conducted in 2010 by Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS) at a Utah ranch associated with reports of unexplained phenomena.
Investigators interviewed residents who described towering dog-like creatures walking on two legs, mysterious balls of light and other unusual sightings.
Other witnesses reported smaller, hairy creatures, a prehistoric-looking bird and a worm allegedly measuring 8 feet long. One witness also described a transparent, rippling structure she believed was a portal to another world.
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The investigation included eyewitness sketches, surveillance cameras, environmental monitoring and hair samples collected from areas associated with reported creature sightings.
Laboratory testing, however, identified the hair samples as coming from ordinary animals, including domestic dogs and a raccoon.
The report did not establish the existence of the alleged creatures or other extraordinary phenomena.
Fox News Digital reached out to the FBI for comment.