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STATE-DEPT-UAP-CABLE, KAZAKHSTAN, JANUARY 1994

A U.S. Embassy cable reports an encounter by a Tajik Air 747SP flight crew with an unidentified aerial phenomenon over Kazakhstan. The crew observed the object for forty minutes as it performed high-speed maneuvers, including corkscrews and 90-degree turns. The pilot captured photographic evidence of the object before it departed at high speed.

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AGENCY
STATE DEPARTMENT
TYPE
REPORT
INCIDENT DATE
1994-01-27
LOCATION
KAZAKHSTAN
PAGES
3
EXTRACTED
3 / 3
STATUS
READY

> PAGES INDEXED [003]

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> PAGE TEXT

PAGE 1

memo

This is a State Department cable from the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe reporting that Tajik Air Chief Pilot Ed Rhodes and two American colleagues encountered a UFO while flying at 41,000 feet on January 27, 1994.

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MRN: 94 DUSHANBE 259
Date/DTG: Jan 31, 1994 / 310000Z Jan 94
From: AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
Action: WASHDC, SECSTATE ROUTINE; MOSCOW, AMEMBASSY ROUTINE
E.O.: Unknown
TAGS: TSPA, EAIR, KZ, TI, TAJIK AIR, (RHODES, ED)
Reference: n/a
Subject: TAJIK AIR PILOTS REPORT UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT

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PAGE 01 DUSHANBE 00259 310310Z
ACTION OES-09

INFO LOG-00 AID-01 AMAD-01 OASY-00 DOTE-00 EAP-01 EB-01
EUR-01 FAAE-00 TEDE-00 INR-00 ADS-00 NSAE-00 SSO-00
SNIS-00 NISC-02 /016W
--------------------1FA298 310310Z /38

R 310258Z JAN 94
FM AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2150
INFO AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
AMEMBASSY TASHKENT
AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT
AMEMBASSY ALMATY
AMEMBASSY BEIJING
AMEMBASSY BISHKEK
CIA WASHDC 0224
DIA WASHDC 0232

UNCLAS DUSHANBE 00259

DEPARTMENT FOR OES/S

E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS: TSAP, EAIR, TI
SUBJECT: TAJIK AIR PILOTS REPORT UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECT

1. TAJIK AIR CHIEF PILOT, AMCIT ED RHODES, AND HIS TWO AMERICAN
PILOT COLLEAGUES REPORTED JANUARY 29 THAT, ON JANUARY 27, THEY
HAD ENCOUNTERED A UFO WHILE FLYING AT 41,000 FEET IN THEIR BOEING
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Released in Full
John Powers, Acting-Director
US Department of State
2/25/2026

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PAGE 2

memo

This document details a report from a 747SP flight crew over Kazakhstan regarding an unidentified aerial phenomenon observed for forty minutes, which the crew believed to be under intelligent control.

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PAGE 02 DUSHAN 00259 310310Z
747SP AT LAT 45 NORTH AND LONG 55 EAST, OVER KAZAKHSTAN. THEY FIRST ENCOUNTERED THE OBJECT AS A BRIGHT LIGHT OF ENORMOUS INTENSITY, APPROACHING THEM FROM OVER THE HORIZON TO THE EAST AT A GREAT RATE OF SPEED AND AT A MUCH HIGHER ALTITUDE THAN THEIR OWN. THEY WATCHED THE OBJECT FOR SOME FORTY MINUTES AS IT MANEUVERED IN CIRCLES, CORKSCREWS AND MADE 90-DEGREE TURNS AT RAPID RATES OF SPEED AND UNDER VERY HIGH G'S. CAPTAIN RHODES TOOK SEVERAL PHOTOS WITH A POCKET OLYMPUS CAMERA AND WILL SEND COPIES TO THE EMBASSY AND THE TAJIKISTAN DESK (LOWRY TAYLOR) IN THE DEPARTMENT, IF THEY COME OUT. AFTER SOME TIME, THE OBJECT ADOPTED A HORIZONTAL HIGH-SPEED COURSE AND DISAPPEARED OVER THE HORIZON.

2. AS IT WAS DARK WHEN THE OBJECT WAS OBSERVED, THE CREW WERE UNABLE TO DISCERN ITS SHAPE. THEY DESCRIBED THE LIGHT IT EMITTED AS HAVING A "BOW WAVE" AND AS RESEMBLING A HIGH-SPEED PHOTO OF A BULLET IN FLIGHT, IN WHICH A VERY SMALL OBJECT GIVES OFF A MUCH LARGER TRAILING WAVE OF HEAT/LIGHT. SOME FORTY-FIVE MINUTES AFTER THE INITIAL SIGHTING, AS THE SUN WAS RISING, THE AIRCRAFT FLEW UNDER THE CONTRAILS WHICH THE OBJECT HAD LEFT BEHIND. THE PLANE WAS MAKING OVER 500 KNOTS. RHODES ESTIMATED THE ALTITUDE OF THE CONTRAILS AT APPROXIMATELY 100,000 FEET, NOTING THAT THERE IS TOO LITTLE AIR/MOISTURE AT THAT EXTREME ALTITUDE TO ENABLE THE CREATION OF CONTRAILS BY THE PROPULSION MECHANISMS OF ORDINARY AIRCRAFT WHICH MIGHT BE ABLE TO REACH THAT HEIGHT. THE PATHS OF THE CONTRAILS REFLECTED THE MANEUVERS OF THE OBJECT, I.E., CIRCLES, CORKSCREWS, ETC.

3. TO OUR SUGGESTION THAT THE OBJECT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A METEOR ENTERING AND SKIPPING OFF THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE, RHODES AND HIS CREW WERE ADAMANT THAT THEY HAD SEEN THOUSANDS OF "FALLING STARS"
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PAGE 03 DUSHAN 00259 310310Z
AND OTHER SPACE JUNK ENTERING THE ATMOSPHERE IN THEIR YEARS OF FLYING PASSENGER AIRCRAFT FOR PANAM. THIS, THEY INSISTED, WAS NOTHING LIKE A METEOR. ON THE BASIS OF ITS SPEED AND MANEUVERABILITY, RHODES EXPRESSED THE OPINION, WHICH HIS CREW SEEMED TO SUPPORT, THAT THE OBJECT WAS EXTRATERRESTRIAL AND UNDER INTELLIGENT CONTROL.

4. COMMENT: WE HAVE NO OPINION AND REPORT THE ABOVE FOR WHAT IT MAY BE WORTH.

ESCUDERO

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PAGE 3

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This is the final page of a document, containing only administrative markings and a dissemination rule.

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