Sighting Report: Unidentified Vapor Trails, Tasman Sea, January 1965

This document details a sighting of unidentified vapor trails reported by a Qantas flight crew on 13 January 1965 over the Tasman Sea. Captain D. Shannon, piloting an Electra at 20,000 feet, observed a single vapor trail that appeared to split into seven distinct trails, suggesting a flight formation. The objects were estimated to be at an altitude of 35,000 to 45,000 feet and traveling at speeds in excess of Mach 1. The sighting was reported to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). While a second pilot reported seeing 11 ships on his radar screen, official surveillance radars at Wellington and Ohakea recorded no such contacts. The RAAF initially suggested the phenomenon was caused by ice crystals, a conclusion that was met with skepticism by some, as two top-ranking RAAF officers noted the evidence was consistent with a formation of high-speed, long-range military aircraft. The document includes internal military correspondence between the Foreign Technology Division (FTD) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and CINC PACAF, requesting information on whether any U.S. forces were operating in the area at the time of the sighting. The report concludes that no U.S. forces were present, and the incident remains a matter of official inquiry regarding the nature of the observed formation.