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UFO/UAP
Single-Record File

FAA Report 237UAP00020: Flashing Strobe over Parkersburg

Single-Record File: Only one inspectable record is attached. It documents a source or allegation but cannot independently corroborate the broader claim.
OverviewEvidenceTimelineAnalysisSources
2014-12-15
20 NM West of Parkersburg, West Virginia, USA
8/10
5/10
An aircrew reported a strobe light flashing once every 30 seconds above 38,000 feet, later reported by other flights.
low

Investigative Assessments

"The reported claim remains worth testing against the record: An aircrew reported a strobe light flashing once every 30 seconds above 38,000 feet, later reported by other flights. The strongest documented reasons to keep the file open are: FAA SKYWATCH Incident Form 237UAP00020: Documents a pilot report of An aircrew reported a strobe light flashing once every 30 seconds above 38,000 feet, later reported by other flights.. Key unresolved lead: What orbital satellites have a 30-second flash rotation cycle?"
"Evidentiary limitations: low Note that: FAA SKYWATCH Incident Form 237UAP00020 fails to support: The operational log does not contain physical telemetry, radar recordings, or photos to independently verify the nature of the object.."

Case Summary

An intake summary of FAA operational log 237UAP00020 recording an aircrew reporting an unidentified aerial phenomenon. An aircrew reported a strobe light flashing once every 30 seconds above 38,000 feet, later reported by other flights. This pilot synopsis is an intake summary requiring source-by-source verification.

Evidence Locker

1 inspectable evidence item. Claims and source findings are kept separate.

FAA incident report Local copy hash-verified

FAA SKYWATCH Incident Form 237UAP00020

Analyst rating: Primary operational record of an aircrew report and the FAA's contemporaneous assessment.

“Aircraft reported observing a strobe light 20NM W Parkersburg at FL380, flashing about once every 30 seconds. Light appear to be above ACFT and PIC reported incident as a UFO. ZID queried other ACFT in the area with negative reports. 0212 other ACFT now report light is high up in the atmosphere, possibly a satellite or space debris.”
Record locationPage 1
Evidence classFAA operational incident record
Relationship to claimPrimary document recording the pilot's intake report.
Authenticity assessmentHigh for document authenticity. The one-page FAA form was visually checked against the NARA PDF.
What this supportsDocuments a pilot report of An aircrew reported a strobe light flashing once every 30 seconds above 38,000 feet, later reported by other flights.
What it does not supportThe operational log does not contain physical telemetry, radar recordings, or photos to independently verify the nature of the object.
ProvenanceOfficial NARA UAP bulk-download record, hash-registered in the Casebook manifest and served from the read-only VPS corpus mount.
Chain of custodyAircrew report -> FAA SKYWATCH incident form -> FAA transfer to NARA Record Group 615 -> NARA bulk archive -> Casebook.
Open Document (Local PDF Document) Download Copy Canonical Agency Record

Documented Timeline

Not documented: No source-verified chronology has been assembled.

Named Participants and Roles

Not documented: Named participants and roles have not been source-verified.

Contradictions and Record Conflicts

Not documented: Record conflicts have not been analyzed.

Conventional Explanations

Not documented: Conventional explanations have not been evaluated against evidence.

Missing Evidence

Not documented: The evidence gap itself has not yet been fully inventory.

What Remains Unresolved

Not documented: No source-level unresolved findings have been established.

Investigative Hypotheses

  • A high-altitude satellite or space debris reflecting sunlight at regular intervals.
  • A weather balloon with a strobing light payload.
  • An anomalous high-altitude craft.

Open Questions

  • What orbital satellites have a 30-second flash rotation cycle?
  • Why did the light appear to be stationary relative to the aircraft?
  • Were any astronomical observatories in the region tracking space debris at the time?

Archival Landing Pages and Evidence Corpus

NARA Record Group 615, FAA UAP Records

Official Bulk Archive

External URL: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/493468575